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BLiillJEIL ffilEEN laescLgfti 



NOTES OF TEAYEL, 



IN 



EUKOPE, EGYPT, AND THE HOLY LAND, 



INCLUDING 



A VISIT TO THE CITY OF CONSTANTINOPLE, 



IN 1841 AND 1842. 



BY 

CLEMUEL GREEN RICKETTS, 

OF PENNSYLVANfA. 




PHILADELPHIA: 

C. SHERMAN, PRINTER. 

1844. 



Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1844, 
BY CLEMUEL GREEN RICKETTS, 

in the Clerk's Office ef the District Court for the Eastern District of 
Pennsylvania. 






'-^ \X 



^ 



PREFACE. 



The object which the author of these Notes had in view, in 
his late tour, was merely the gratification of his own curiosity. 
He had no intention of publishing any account of his obser- 
vations, and hence, during his travels he kept very brief notes 
of the various countries and places visited, the objects of 
curiosity which attracted his attention, and the every-day 
scenes and occurrences of his journey. But after his return 
home, the frequent solicitations and earnest entreaties of 
numerous friends, induced him to prepare his Notes for the 
press. He has necessarily confined himself in these Notes 
to very brief sketches, without attempting any detailed de- 
scription. He has carefully avoided all superfluous matter 
and common-place reflections ; presenting to the reader plain 
facts, in preference to gaudy embellishments, and abstract, 
verbose and useless observations, which would only increase 
the size of his book, without imparting any intrinsic value to 
the work. In giving minute descriptions of some few objects 
of great interest, he has occasionally availed himself of some 
of the excellent guide-books with which travellers are usually 
provided. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



Passage across the Atlantic— Prince's Dock— Liverpool— Manchester- 
English Steamers— Dublin— Caven— Jaunt Car of Ireland— Belturbet 
Ballyconnel — Irish Cottage — Belfast — Krum Castle — Remarkable 
Yew Tree— Enniskiilen— Lough Erne— Castle Koon— Londonderry 
—Walker's Monument— Fairs— Glasgow— Monuments of Nelson and 
Knox— Edinburgh— The Castle— Calton Hill— Palace of Holyrood— 
Dumbarton Castle— English Railroad— Road from London to Dover- 
Rigid Police of Custom-House in France— Calais— Diligence— Pans 
—Palace of the Tuileries— Palace Royal— Champ-de-Mars— Champs- 
Ely sees— Place Vendome— Bridges— Place Concord— Hotel of Inva= 
lids— Tomb of Napoleon— Tomb of La Fayette— Cemetery— Versailles 
—Lyons— Banks of the Rhone— Avignon— Marseilles - - 13 

CHAPTER II. 

Genoa— Palaces— Council-Chamber— Columbus— Churches-University 
—Character of the Geonese— Leghorn— Annoyance from Watermen 
—Assassination — Elba — Phenomenon in the Mediterranean Sea— 
Civita Vecchia — Rome — Police Regulations— Porta del Popolo-- 
Effyptian Obelisk— Churches- St. Peter's— Christmas at St. Peter s 
—St: John Lateran— St. Maria Maggiore— Cradle of the Saviour— 
Palaces— the Vatican— Relics— Superstition— Capitol— Prison of St. 
Peter and St. Paul— Coliseum-Pantheon— Arch of Constantine--Of 
Titus— Trajan's Pillar— Column of Antoninus— Palatine Hill— ±ig- 
Tree of Romulus and Remus— Catacombs— Jew's Quarters— Aque- 
ducts— Museums— Academies — Colleges— Propaganda— Car nival — 
Passports 

CHAPTER III. 

Incidents on the Road-Naples-Streets-Shops-Mole-Churches- 
Palaces -Theatres — Museum -. Neapolitans — Superstition— Roy ai 
Garden— The Bay— Vesuvius— Herculaneum — Pompeii— Character 



Vlll CONTENTS. 



of the Italians — Leaving the Bay — Passage to Malta — Stromboli — 
Etna — Malta — Fortifications — Valetta — 'Knights of Malta — Palaces 
— Cathedral — Floriana — Citta Vecchia — Grotto of St. Paul — Cata- 
combs — Climate — Quarantine — History of Malta — Blockade - 45 



CHAPTER IV. 

Passage to Athens — Syra — Greek Costume — Quarantine — Peiraeus — 
Arrival at Athens — Missionary School — Athens — 'New Palace — Aero- 
polis — Propylea — Temple of Victory — Parthenon — Erectheum — 
Theatre of Herodes Atticus— Gate of the Agora — Areopagus, or Mars' 
Hill — Temple of Theseus — Pnyx — Ancient Practice of Grecian 
Dames — Prisons of Socrates — Temple of Jupiter Olympus— Towner of 
the Winds — Visit to Salamis — King and Queen of Greece — De- 
parture from Athens — Strange Regulation — Affecting Story of a 
Greek Patriot ---... ...gs 



CHAPTER V. 

Appearance of Egypt — Landing at Alexandria — Camels — Arabs — Alex- 

andria — Population — Buildings — Windmills of the Pacha — Bazar 

Slave-market — Rain — Pompey's Pillar — Cleopatra's Needle — Arab 
Poverty— Catacombs — Mohammed All's Palace — His Talents and 
Success — Arrangements for Ascending the Nile, and for Future Travel 
— Greek Servant — Departure from Alexandria — Mamoudich,or Pacha's 
Canal — A Skirmish — Arrival at the Nile — A Night's Lodging in an 
Egyptian Inn— The Nile— Moses and the Pharaohs— Boat of the Nile 
—Occurrences during the Passage— Sight of the Pyramids— Soil and 
Scenery along the Nile — Irrigations— Oppressive Taxation— Sum- 
mary Mode of Recruiting the Army and Navy — Inhabitants - 75 



CHAPTER VI. 

Arrival at Boulak— Entrance into Cairo— Hotels— Locality of Cairo- 
Buildings and Streets— Bazars— Slave-market— Lunatic Asylum- 
Citadel— Joseph's Well and Tomb— Mohammed All's Palace— His 
New Mosque— Missionary School— Cemeteries— Visit to the Pyra- 
mids—Catacombs—Cemetery for Birds— Annoyance from the Fellahs 
—Great Pyramid of Cheops— Extensive Prospect from its Summit— 
Agihty of an Arab Girl— Unreasonable Demand— Interior of Cheops— 
IheSphynx-Ghizeh— Egyptian Mode of Hatching Chickens—Island 
m Khoda—Nilometer- Finding of Moses— Mountains of Rubbish— 
Hehopohs— Joseph and Mary in Egypt— Petrified Forest - 88 

CHAPTER VII. 

Departure from Cairo— Land of Goshen— First Night in the Desert— 
An Advenlure-Arab Wedding Procession-A Lake— Quarrel with 
the Guides-Encampment of Turks- Another of Arabs-Salt Lake— 
Gazelle-El Ansh-Road of the Patriarchs, &c.-Immense Sand- 
banks—Vicinity of Gaza-Quarantine-Gaza— Bribing Quarantine 



CONTENTS. IX 

Officers — Valley of Sharon — Ramlah — Ride to Jerusalem — Mountains 
of Judea — David and Goliath — First Sight of Jerusalem — Deep Emo- 
tions — Reflections — Entrance by the Gate of Bethlehem — Latin Con- 
vent — View from the Roof — General View of Palestine — Judea — Sa- 
maria — Galilee — Present State of Palestine - - - - 100 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Jerusalem — Streets and Houses — Church of the Holy Sepulchre — Pil- 
grims — Sacred Slab — Sepulchre — Small Chapels of the Copts, &lc. — 
Absurd Traditions — Chapel of the Cross, &c. — Mount of Crucifixion — 
Ridiculous Ceremonies — Pool of Bethesda — Via Dolorosa — Martyr- 
dom of Stephen — Turks' Cemetery — Tomb of Absalom — Jehoshaphat 
— St. James — Zeehariah — Tomb of the Virgin — Getbsemane — Mount 
of Olives — Mount Moriah — Temple — Mosque of Omar — Pool of Si- 
loam — Aceldama — Mount Zion — Tomb of David — Armenian Convent 
— Hall of Caiaphas — Sepulchre of the Kings of Judah — Remains of 
the Ancient Wall — Jews' Place of Prayer — Lunatic — Worship with 
the Episcopal Bishop — His New Church — Baptism - - - 113 



CHAPTER IX. 

Excursion to the Jordan — Bethany — Tomb of Lazarus — Mount of Temp- 
tation — Jericho — Tower — Elisha's Fountain — Jordan — Events on the 
Banks — The Dead Sea — Buoyancy of the Water — Sodom and Gomor- 
rah — Santa Saba — Bethlehem — Convent of the Nativity — Plains of 
Bethlehem — Rachel's Tomb — Monastery of St. Elias— Return to Jeru- 
salem — Oppression of the Governor — Successful Audience— Pilgrim's 
Certificate .......... 129 



CHAPTER X. 

Departure from Jerusalem — Jacob's Well — Joseph's Tomb — Naplous, 
the Ancient Schechem — Samaria — Prison of John the Baptist — 
Herod's Palace — Poor Accommodations — Mount Carmel — Gilboa — 
Hermon — Tabor — Nazareth — Church of the Annunciation — Joseph's 
Workshop — Synagogue — Pleasing Reflections — Cana of Galilee — Hot 
Springs — Tiberias — Sea of Tiberias — Magdala — Bethsaida — Chorazin 
— Genesareth — Capernaum — Reflections — Caipha — Visit to Mount 
Carmel — Plain of Jezreel — The Convent — St. Jean d'Acre — Bloody 
and Destructive Sieges — Solomon's Cisterns . - - .143 

CHAPTER XI. 

Sur, the ancient Tyre — Hiram — Destruction of Tyre — Gazelles — Jack- 
als — Sarepta — Sidon — Jonas the Prophet — Beyrout — American 
Missionaries — Mount Lebanon — Face of Syria — Syrians — Cyprus — 
Rhodes — Fortifications — Streets and Buildings — Harbours — Stupen- 
dous Statue — Patmos — Grotto of St. John — Revelations — Samos — 
Scio — Fate of Scio — Smyrna — One of the Seven Churches — Archi. 
pelago 158 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XII. 

Arrival at the Dardanelles — Approach t© Constantinople — Arrival at the 
City — Golden Horn — Quarantine — Top-hanna — Turkish Costume — 
Caiques — Pera — Madame Josephine — Affecting- Greek Story — Con- 
stantinople — Stillness of the City — Dogs — View from the Tower — 
Scutari — Cemeteries — Torment of the Soul — Howling Dervishes — 
Dancing- Dervishes — Castle of the Seven Towers — Bazars — Slave- 
market — Seraglio - - - - - - - - -169 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Mosque of St, Sophia— Mosque of Soleiman^ the Magnificent — Mosque 
of Sultan Ahmed - 183 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Atmeidan — Burnt Column — Fires — Column of Theodosius — Cistern of 
Constantino— Aqueduct of Valens — Hans — Fountains — Baths — Streets 
—View from a Tower — Sweet Water — Sight of the Sultan — Illumina- 
tion — Birth-day of Mahomet — Procession — Naval Dock-yard — Bar- 
racks — Schools — Military College — Model Farm — Military Hospital 
— Plague Hospital — Suburbs — Mosque of Eyoub— Okmeidan - 194 

CHAPTER XV. 

Manners and Customs — Turkish Houses — Reception of Visiters— Pipes 
—Coffee — Visiter Retiring — Hospitality — Polygamy — Honesty — 
Truth — Devotion to Religion — Mahommedan Year — Ramazan — Bai- 
ram — Commerce 203 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Bosphorus — Dolmaboghdsche — Monument of Barbarossa — Beschik- 
tasche — Kura Tschesme — Garden of the Tower — Roumelia — Black 
Tower — Kaudili — Buyukdere — Commodore Porter — Giant's Moun- 
tain — Rumuli Kawak — Anatoli Kawak — Turris Timaea — Light- 
houses — Cyanean Rocks- — Black Sea — Kistenji — Trajan's Wall — 
Danube — Trajan's Bridge — Roman Severinura — Iron Gate — Arrival 
at Orsova ... = - 213 



CHAP_TER XVII. 

Orsova — Parlatorium — Mountain Scenery — Via Trajana — Passport 
Missing — Mohacs — Bloody Battles — Pest- — Field of Rakos — Oppres- 
sion of the Poor — Buda — Vulgar Practice — Inundations — Floating 
Mills — Vienna — The Glacis — Imperial Palace" — Jewel Office — Impe- 
rial Arsenal — Dwellings — Cathedral of St. Stephen's — Catacombs — 
Capuchin Church — Church of the Augustines — Grand Procession — 



CONTENTS. XI 

Dancing Saloons — Hospitals — Promenades — The Prater — Baden — 
Schonbrun — Departure from Vienna — Police of Austria - - 223 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Neustadt — Iron Virgin — Maiden's Leap — Castle of Gosting — Gratz — 
Remains of Ferdinand II. — Laibach — Idria — Quicksilver Mines — 
Lake of Zirknitz — Grotto of Adelsberg — Proteus Anguinus — The 
Karst — Trieste — Inhabitants — Capo di Istria — Pola — Amphitheatre 
— Temple of Augustus and Roma ---. = . 240 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Venice — Peculiar Location — Singular Communication — Canals — Gon- 
dolas — Bridges — First Impressions — Square of St. Mark — Walking 
Comedians — Square of the Rialto — View from the Campanile — Logetta 
— Ducal Palace — Private Palaces — Casinos — Arsenal — Armoury — 
Strangling Machine, &c. — Doge Wedding the Adriatic — Ceremony — 
The Doge and his Senators — Prisons — Hospitals— Custom-House — 
Mint — St. Mark's Church — The Interior — Ceremony of Profession — 
Taking the Veil — Relics — ^Theatres — Pyramid of Men and Boys — 
Society, &c. — Literature - - - - - - - 250 



CHAPTER XX. 

Departure from Venice — Verona — Amphitheatre— Modern Repairs — 
Lago di Garda — Milan — Streets — Cathedral — Royal Palace of Arts, 
(fee. — Arabrosian Library — Palaces — Depository of Public Records — 
Hospital — Lazaretto — Remarkable Echo — Amphitheatre — Villa of the 
Viceroy — Iron Crown — Lago Maggiore — Isola Bella — Domo d'Ossola 
— Bonaparte's Road across the Simplon — Gallery of Gondo — Sublime 
Scenery — Summit — Martigny — Lake Geneva — Geneva — Feuds — 

• Public Library — Roman Remains — Calvin's House — Calvin's Grave. 

261 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Excursion to Mont Blanc — St. Martin — Sublime View — Baths of St. 
Gervais — Lac du Chede — Mont Buet — View from Monlels — First Gla- 
cier — Glacier du Bois — Chamouny — Disgraceful Practice — Bustle 
and Excitement^ — Guides — Jacques Balmat — Crues — Avalanches — 
Tremendous Catastrophes — Caution of Muleteers — Snow Storms — 
Pavilion — Red Snow — Mer de Glace — Sublime Scenery — Walk on 
the Glacier — Formation of Glaciers — Changes— Perilous Exploration 
— Source of the Arve — Fissures and Chasms — Economy of Nature — 
Diseases — Goitre — Cretinism ------- 272 



CHAPTER XXIL 

Departure from Geneva — Lake Leman or Geneva — Lausanne — House 
of Gibbon — Basle — Cathedral — Tomb of Erasmus — Clock-time of 



Xll CONTENTS. 

Basle — Grotesque Clock — Fourth of July — Strasburg — Count Nassau 
and Daughter — Cathedral — Mayence — Invention of Printing — Frank- 
fort on the Maine — Lutheran Churches — Coblentz — Church of St. 
Castor — Splendid Prospect — Fort of Ehrenbreitstein — Deep Well — 
Large Cannon — Roman Castle — Baths — Floating Mills — Cologne — 
German Dinner — Subterranean Aqueduct — Cathedral — Church of St. 
Gereon — Convent — Arsenal — Manufactures .... 285 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Dusseldorf — Monument — Castle — Commerce — Entering Holland — 
Face of the Country— Dikes — Nimeguen — Flying Bridge — Dort — 
Immense Rafts — Rotterdam — Canals — Houses — Street Reflectors — 
Stadhouse — Churches — Erasmus — Passage on the Canal — Delft — 
Grotius — Monument of William I. — The Hague — Beautiful Square — 
Royal Palace — Palace in the Wood — Leyden — Haarlem — Immense 
Organ — Costly Flowers — Amsterdam — Royal Palace — Museum — 
East India Warehouses — Churches, &c. — Literary Institutions — 
Commerce — Brock — Dutch Cleanliness - - - - - 296 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Departure for London — Approach to the City — St. Paul's Cathedral — 
Time in Building — Cost — Exterior — Dimensions — Remarkable Floor 
— Bell — Clock — Model — Whispering Gallery — Floor — Paintings — 
Stone Lantern — Monuments — Westminster Abbey — The Tower — 
Locality — Entrance — Scenes of Horror — Principal Buildings — The 
Church— ^The White Tower — New Horse Armoury — The Crown 
Jewel Room — British Museum^ — Monument — Bank of England — 
Bridges — Tunnel — Squares — Parks — Streets — Shops — Parliament — 
Windsor Castle — Prince Albert and Queen Victoria — General View 
—Arrival in New York -......- 308 



NOTES OF TRAVEL. 



CHAPTER I. 



Passage across the Atlantic — Prince's Dock — Liverpool — Manchester — ■ 
English Steamers — Dublin— Caven — Jaunt Car of Ireland-^Belturbet 
— Ballyconnel — Irish Cottage — Belfast — Krum Castle — Remarkable 
Yew Tree — Enniskillen — Lough Erne — Castle Koon — -Londonderry 
— Walker's Monument — Fairs — Glasgow — Monuments of Nelson and 
Knox — Edinburgh — The Castle — Calton Hill — Palace of Holyrood — 
Dumbarton Castle — English Railroad — Road from London to Dover — 
Rigid Police of Custora-House in France — Calais — Diligence — Paris 
— Palace of the Tuileries — Palace Royal — Champ-de-Mars — Champs- 
Elysees — Place Vendome— Bridges — Place Concord — Hotel of Inva- 
lids — Tomb of Napoleon — Tomb of La Fayette — Cemetery — Ver- 
sailles — Lyons — Banks of the Rhone — Avignon — Marseilles. 

1 EMBARKED OH board the packet ship George Washing- 
ton, Captain Burrows, at New York, October 7th, 1841, in 
connpany with a nunnber of other passengers, bound for 
Liverpool. We were towed out of the harbour by a steamer, 
and as soon as we were at sea, were favoured vi^ith a fair 
wind, which carried us on our course at the rate of eight or 
ten knots an hour. We sailed generally about 200 and 300 
miles per day. During most of the passage the wind was 
fair, but blew strong, giving us much rough weather. The 
whale, grampus, black-fish, shark, and porpoise, were fre- 
quently seen in large numbers, attracting the attention and 
exciting the curiosity of our company, and rendering the 
usual monotony of a sea- voyage less irksome. As we neared 

2 



^■ 



14 prince's dock LIVERPOOL MANCHESTER. 

Cape Clear light-house, on the coast of Ireland, and obtained 
once nnore a sight of land, a general joy was diffused 
throughout our company of passengers. But this joy was 
"well-nigh being exchanged suddenly for lamentation and the 
peril of a watery grave. It was a very dark night ; and at 
about 10 o'clock, as we were entering St. George's Channel, 
we came very near making shipwreck on Tucker's Rock. It 
was a narrow escape. I happened to be in my berth at the 
time, and was not aware of our imminent danger ; but those 
of our passengers who happened to be on deck, were much 
alarmed. But a kind Providence carried us in safety past the 
dangerous object. After a favourable, but rather rough 
passage of seventeen days, we reached Old England, and 
landed in Liverpool. 

Our ship entered Prince's dock. This is a large dock, of 
vast dimensions, running parallel with the river Mersey, and 
is unquestionably one of the best, if not the very best in the 
world. I have never seen any other equal to it in size or 
construction. It is capable of accommodating a large number 
of vessels, and has every convenience and security for lading 
and unlading merchandise of every description, having quays 
covered with sheds, affording protection to goods in all kinds 
of weather. The proper officers are always in attendance to 
take charge of the goods, and see that they are in safe 
hands. They have other docks in Liverpool, but of less note, 
and forming no comparison with Prince's. 

In Liverpool the buildings are generally high, and of brick 
or stone. The brick is good and durable, but much paler 
than American brick. Lord Nelson's monument, the Ceme- 
tery, and the Zoological Garden are the most interesting 
objects to strangers. In the garden is a very large collection 
of living animals from all parts of the world, some in cages, 
and some running at large in a beautiful park. They have 
likewise a large collection of birds from the four quarters of 
the globe. Besides, they keep many kinds of fish in water 
for the inspection of the curious. An American especially 
will find much in this garden to attract his attention and 
interest his national feelings. 

From Liverpool I went to Manchester by railroad, occu- 
pying one hour and fifteen minutes, the distance being thirty- 
two miles. The country between these cities is in the highest 
state of cultivation and improvement. The land is naturally 
rich, and is taken up with extensive gardens, containing the 
most luxuriant growth of every thing pertaining to the climate 
and soil, with orchards and well-cultivated fields; which, 



ENGLISH STEAMERS DUBLIN IRISH COTTAGE. 15 

with the numerous country-seats of gentlemen and the 
nobility interspersed in every direction, present to the eye the 
most beautiful and enchanting scenery. 

Manchester is the great manufactory of England for dry- 
goods. The factories are large, with high chimneys, some 
exceeding three hundred feet. At the time of my visit, much 
distress prevailed among the numerous operatives. It was said 
that many families, embracing some thousands of individuals, 
were in a state bordering on starvation from want of their 
accustomed employment, the manufacturers being unable to 
employ them, having no market for their goods. How could 
my thoughts avoid recurring to my own happy and plentiful 
shores, where labourers can always find some kind of 
employment, and provisions in abundance to supply their 
numerous and rising families ! 

I returned to Liverpool, and embarked on board an English 
steamer for Dublin in Ireland, distant by sea one hundred and 
thirty-seven miles. We had on board all descriptions of 
men, women and children, with horses, carriages, &c. The 
English steamers are strong, heavy vessels, with low-pressure 
engines, and move at the rate of about eight or ten miles an 
hour. They are not so liable to accident from explosions 
as the steamboats of our western waters, and one naturally 
feels more secure while on board. We landed about ten miles 
from the city, and proceeded by railroad. 

Dublin is a large and handsome city, built of brick and 
stone, and is surrounded by a rich and handsome country. It 
contains, besides the usual objects of interest in all large 
cities, some monuments, the ancient parliament house, and in 
the vicinity is the Lord Lieutenant's park. I was in the 
parliament house, and had the privilege of sitting in the great 
chair occupied by George III. on his visit to Ireland. 

From Dublin I took coach for Caven, fifty-five miles. The 
first part of the road lay through a rich and well-cultivated 
country, the latter was rather hilly, and passed over lands 
abounding with turf, the principal fuel of Ireland. 

From Caven I went to Belturbet by a jaunt car. This is 
a vehicle peculiar to Ireland. It has one horse, two wheels, 
and carries four to six persons with the driver, and a reason- 
able amount of baggage. The passengers ride back to back, 
over the wheels, which being very low, the feet nearly reach 
the ground. 

From Belturbet I went to Ballyconnell, six miles. These 
villages are built of stone, and the houses are plastered on the 
outside, many of them being without floors. A gentleman 



1 6 BELFAST — ENNISKILLEN — LONDONDERE Y. 

who owned considerable land in the vicinity, informed me 
that many of his tenants much preferred the naked ground to 
the best floor. This I much doubt. Many of the cottages in 
the country around are built of square lumps of earth cut out 
with a spade; are only about five or six feet high, and are 
covered with sods and grass. In these hovels, man, wife, 
children, cow, pigs, all live, eat and sleep together in the same 
apartment. Clothing and the simplest luxuries of common 
life are objects of little importance to these wretched beings ; 
to escape mere starvation being comparatively the paramount 
object of life. The negroes of America are better, far better 
provided for by their employers. 

I returned to Belturbet in a car, and thence travelled to 
Belfast, fifty-five miles, passing through Clones, Monaghan, 
Armagh, Portedown, Lurgan and Lisburn. Belfast is a sea- 
port of considerable magnitude. I visited Cave Hill, situated 
about two and a half miles northeast from the city, from which 
place I enjoyed a most beautiful view of the city, bay, and 
adjacent country. I was informed that Scotland had been 
seen from its summit. The remains of an ancient fort, now 
in ruins, are still visible on the top of this lofty hill. While 
at Belturbet I rode out five miles, and visited Krum Castle, 
with its park, gardens, &c. There is a yew tree near the old 
castle, much admired, its branches forming a regular circle of 
about fifty feet in diameter, and their extremities supported by 
numerous pillars of wood raised for that purpose. In height 
it is not more than about twenty feet. Its leaves resemble the 
spruce of America. I was informed by an old resident that 
he had known it for sixty years, and that he had not perceived 
any visible change in its appearance during that period. 

On my way to Londonderry I visited Enniskillen, the seat 
of justice of Fermanagh, and situated on the edge of Lough 
Erne, a most beautiful sheet of water. It is a place of some 
note, having in its vicinity Castle Koon, the residence of Lord 
Bell more. Here is an extensive park; also an artificial 
lake, on which were swimming swans and a great variety 
of other water-fowl. 

The city of Londonderry was the next object of my atten- 
tion. I arrived after a pleasant ride of forty-three miles, 
passing through a portion of the county of Donegal. Lon- 
donderry is handsomely situated on a hill,, gradually rising 
on every side, and nearly surrounded by water. Lough 
Foyle, on the borders of which the city stands, allows vessels 
to come up only at high tide. It is a walled city, and was 
anciently a very strong place. I walked around the city 



FAIRS GLASGOW MONUMENTS OF NELSON AND KNOX. 17 

upon the wall, viewing the various external objects presenting 
themselves on every side ; but could not avoid melancholy- 
thoughts naturally arising from the contemplation of the many 
noted events which had occurred here connected with blood 
and carnage. Oh, Mars, blood-thirsty Mars, what woes, and 
wretchedness, and death hast thou not brought upon man, 
multiplying heart-broken widows, and helpless, despairing 
orphans 1 In the distance stood Walker's Monument, a vast 
pile, probably two hundred feet high, and surmounted with a 
handsome statue of the governor. His hand is extended, 
with his finger pointing to the approach of the fleet, expected 
in the last hour of extremity during the noted siege of Derry. 

All the towns in Ireland of any note hold monthly fairs. 
The fairs it is next to impossible accurately to describe. 
Thousands of men and women are to be seen engaged in 
either buying or selling some commodity or other of mer- 
chandise. The women are without bonnets, wearing muslin 
caps in their place. The greatest profusion of horses, don- 
keys, cattle, sheep, hogs, turkeys, geese, ducks, chickens, 
and almost every thing else that can be thought of, is here 
exhibited. What is not sold at the regular fair of one town, 
is taken to that of the next for disposal. In bargaining for 
an article, the parties sometimes manifest so much earnestness 
that, one unaccustomed to their habits, would suppose they 
ware fast verging upon mortal combat. Yet from what I 
have seen of the Irish, I am constrained to believe that they 
are naturally a kind-hearted people. 

Sailing from Londonderry to Glasgow, one hundred and 
sixty-one miles, we passed near the Giant's Causeway, so 
much noted in history. But in regard to this curiosity, and 
many others, so fully described by travellers, I feel disposed 
to say little or nothing, reserving my observations for places 
and objects less knowa to the general reader. 

Upon entering the Firth of Clyde, the scenery is beautiful 
and grand beyond conception. We touched at Greenock for 
a few hours. From this to Glasgow, the Clyde was literally 
covered with vessels of various kinds, coming and going. 
Excepting on the Thames near London Bridge, I never wit- 
nessed so many steamers. 

Glasgow is a large city, containing about two hundred 
thousand inhabitants. It has a black and dingy appearance, 
owing to the dense smoke from its numerous factories, and 
the burning of stone coal in the dwellings of the inhabitants. 
The buildings are large and generally very high, and are 
mostly constructed of stone» The bridges are built, some of 

2* 



18 EDINBURGH THE CASTLE. 

stone, and others entirely of iron. The shops have a very 
rich appearance, and present every article in commerce and 
the arts which the wants and desires of man can crave. 
Nelson's Monument in the great park is a most splendid 
structure. The old and new Exchanges are good buildings 
of their kind. But the old Cathedral is one of the most an- 
cient buildings in Scotland. It stands on high ground, and 
in the midst of a very ancient cemetery, at the upper end of 
High Street. It was founded by John Achaius, Bishop of 
Glasgow, in 1123. It is three hundred and nineteen feet 
long, sixty-three feet broad, and ninety feet high within the 
walls, and has two great square towers, on one of which a 
spire was built about the year 1430, making the whole height 
two hundred and twenty -five feet. The monument of Knox, 
the great reformer, in the Fir Park, stands over against the 
Cathedral on an elevated spot, and is a splendid work. The 
Botanic Garden is a pretty and interesting place, and every 
way worth a visit. The Washing House, as it is called, is 
an establishment upon a large scale, and will amply recom- 
pense the curiosity of the visiter. 

From Glasgow to Edinburgh I travelled nearly fifty miles, 
partly by railroad and partly by coach. Some two or three 
miles before reaching the city, beauiiful sidewalks attract 
the attention, extending from the city and paved with 
stone. 

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, stands on the southern 
bank of the Frith of Forth, about two miles from the sea, 
near the centre of the northern boundary of the county which 
bears its name, and about four hundred miles from London. 
Its population is about one hundred and sixty thousand. 

Upon entering Prince's Street, the Castle stands on the 
right, while rows of rich and attractive shops set off the 
left. 

The city is built upon three elevated ridges, running east 
and west. The central ridge is terminated on the west by a 
rocky precipice, surmounted by the Castle. From the Castle 
the ground descends more abruptly to the palace of Holyrood 
which terminates this part of the city on the east. The old 
and new towns are separated by a deep ravine, over which 
are several bridges. The Castle is the most prominent object 
in the old town, and is to be seen for many miles. 

This Castle is separated from the buildings of the street by 
an esplanade, about three hundred and fifty feet in length, and 
three hundred in breadth. The area of the rock on which 
the Castle stands measures about seven English acres. The 



CALTON HILL DUMBARTON CASTLE. 19 

rock itself is composed of basalt, is elevated three hundred 
and eighty-three feet above the level of the sea, and is acces- 
sible only on the eastern side, all the other sides being nearly 
perpendicular. This Castle is of great antiquity, and has 
been occupied as a fortress from the earliest limes. In 1093 
it was besieged by Donald Bane, brother to King Malcolm, 
and in the same year Queen Margaret died within its walls. 
The buildings on the top of the rock are occupied as a station 
for soldiers. The Scottish Regalia are kept here, and stran- 
gers are shown these and other relics of antiquity, also the 
room where Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to her only 
son, afterv/ards King James 1. of England. 

Calton Hill, upon which the Prison, Bridewell, Observatory, 
New High School, the National Monument, a column to the 
memory of Lord Nelson, a monument to the memory of Pro- 
fessor Playfair, a magnificent temple to the memory of Pro- 
fessor Dugald Stewart, and the splendid memorial of Burns 
the poet, are erected, is a place of much interest. The view 
from this hill, of the city, the sea, and the scenery for twenty 
miles around, is magnificent ; and the hill itself, rising from 
the streets, by which it is surrounded, is an object both attrac- 
tive and interesting. From the Observatory on this hill, I 
had a fine view, one evening, of the heavens through a large 
telescope. 

The palace of H^olyrood is situated at the east end of the 
Canongate, and occupies the site of an Abbey. It was com- 
menced by James V., and completed in its present form by 
Charles II. Here are preserved several relics of the unfortu- 
nate Mary, and other curiosities, which are pointed out to 
strangers. The ruins of what is now called the Chapel 
Royal, are especially worthy of a visit. 

I visited many other places and objects in and around the 
city, to which 1 cannot here even refer; but must hasten to 
complete the plan with which I commenced these Notes. 

I returned by canal and railroad to Glasgow, and by a 
steamer went down to Dumbarton. This is a county towns 
and has considerable manufactures. But it derives its chief 
importance from its castle, which is supposed to be the Bal- 
ciutha of Ossian, the Alcluyd of the ancient Britons, and the 
D'uen Britton of the Caledonians, after they were confined 
within the territory north of the Leven. This castle is a 
very imposing object. The rock, which rises out of the bed 
of the Clyde, is cleft about the middle, and presents two sum- 
mits. The fortress is entered by a gate at the bottom, and 
within the rampart which defends the entrance, are the guard- 



20 ENGLISH RAILROAD — ROAD FRQ-^I LONDON TO DOVER. 

house and lodgings for officers. Hence, the ascent is by a 
long flight of steps to the place where the rock divides: here 
is a battery and barracks for the garrison, and a fine well 
with a reservoir constantly filled with water. Above these, 
on the lower summit of the rock, are several batteries mounted 
with cannon. The access to the higher and narrower summit, 
terminating in a peak, is very difficult, and has been dignified 
by the name of Wallace's Seat. From the upper batteries are 
some most extensive views. The rock is five hundred and 
sixty feet high, a mile in circumference at the base, and de- 
tached about the same distance from any other hill or moun- 
tain. The situation of the Castle is singularly picturesque. 
In former limes it was considered impregnable. 1 was shown 
the sword of William Wallace ; it is large and appears very 
old. 

I returned to Glasgow by a steamer, being my fifth visit to 
that city. 1 then sailed for Liverpool in a very heavy and 
strong steamboat called the Admiral, and arrived safely, the 
distance being two hundred and fifty-three miles. We passed 
near the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, and had a delightful 
view of the island, which appeared to be densely populated. 

From Liverpool I went by railroad, two hundred and ten 
miles, to London, passing through Birmingham, and arrived 
the same day at 6 p.m. This railroad is worthy of special 
notice on Account of the excellent regulations observed. At 
every station are proper officers, dressed similar to the police- 
officers of London, who are attentive to tlieir duties, polite and 
accommodating. The country between these cities is beautiful 
and interesting in the extreme. 

Intending to give the city of London and its curiosities more 
of my time on my return from the Continent, I hastened my 
departure, and took coach for Dover. The road is an excel- 
lent one, being McAdamized, and is kept in fine order the 
whole distance of seventy-one miles. For some distance it 
follows the river Thames, affording the most picturesque 
scenery, innumerable vessels continually passing on the water ; 
the Chalk Hills, country-seats, parks, towns and villages, 
presenting a variety to the eye of the most agreeable and 
pleasing character. 

Dover is a seaport of some note on the British Channel, 
and one of the nearest points of England to the Continent. I 
embarked on board a steamer for Calais in France. On our 
landing, the police-officers of the customs stood ready to 
receive our passports, and take charge of our luggage, all of 
which was immediately sent to the police-office, where we 



CALAIS— PAHIS. 21 

had to follow, and submit to have every trunk examined 
thoroughly and minutely before we were allowed to remove 
them to our hotel. They are very rigid in these examina- 
tions in France, sometimes closely inspecting the pockets, 
reticules and dresses of ladies. This process of examination 
is enforced in nearly all parts of Europe, but nowhere is it so 
annoying as in France and Italy. 

Calais is a considerable town, is walled, and strongly forti- 
fied. Here Bonaparte on one occasion lay with a large army, 
threatening an invasion of England. 

I left Calais for Paris in the diligence, with six horses. 
This is a large, heavy coach, peculiar to France and some 
adjacent countries. It is usually divided into three compart- 
ments, which have different prices : the front is the highest, the 
middle next, &c. It travels slow, and is altogether a very 
inconvenient kind of vehicle for public purposes. We travelled 
one hundred and ninety miles in thirty-five successive hours, 
passing over level roads and through a fine country. 
Country-seats, vineyards, and the most delightful scenery 
met the eye on every side. Within eight or ten miles of the 
city, the road is very broad, and is planted on each side with 
a row of beautiful elm trees. Entering Paris, we passed 
through many streets, and were finally set down in the large 
courtyard, which seemed to be a general rendezvous for all 
the diligences from every direction. Flere was a great crowd 
of people, such as various officers and agents belonging to the 
government, who had charge of these coaches, many hotel- 
keepers and their servants, desirous to obtain guests for their 
several houses. 

Paris is more attractive on many accounts than London 
itself; the latter having the pre-eminence merely in dimen- 
sions and population, and perhaps in business ; but the former 
certainly contains, as a eity, more objects of curiosity and 
scenes of diversion, and more monuments of a national 
character, commemorating great events and illustrious ex- 
ploits. I visited every object and place calculated to attract 
the attention of a stranger, but the plan which I have adopted 
in these Notes, will not permit me to notice more than the 
most prominent objects. 

In Paris we see comparatively none of that abject, squalid 
mendicity, so distressingly frequent in the great British 
metropolis, and throughout England and Ireland. Living is 
easier for the lower classes; hence we see but few suffering 
from the effects of hunger and nakedness. All seem con- 
tented, cheerful, and happy. This may be accounted for, in 



22 TUILERIES PALACE ROYAL CHAMP-DE-MARS. 

part, from the natural buoyancy of the French character; but 
principally from the cheapness of living and the abundant 
means of employment. These remarks are applicable not 
merely to Paris, but to France in general. 

Paris may be classed in the first rank of the most beauti- 
ful cities in the world. It is surrounded by a wall of seven- 
teen miles in circumference, the river Seine running nearly 
through the centre. But little can be said in favour of the 
morals and religion of Paris, and of France generally; it is a 
Catholic country, and the degrading influence of their reli- 
gious system is every where apparent. 

The palace of the Tuileries has been thus named on 
account of its being situated on the ground where tiles were 
made. This superb palace was commenced in 1564 by 
Catharine de Medicis, and completed in the reigns of Louis 
XIIl. and Louis XIV. It is a most splendid pile of buildings, 
which, with its numerous internal and external attractions, is 
well worth a prolonged visit. It forms an extensive and 
somewhat irregular mass, nearly one-fifth of a mile in front, 
producing a strong effect upon the eye of the beholder. The 
Louvre is now attached to it, and contains one chamber, or 
gallery, of paintings, one-fourth of a mile in length, embracing 
some three thousand fine paintings, one thousand five hundred 
statues, 'and twenty thousand drawings. This is open to the 
whole population of the city on the Sabbath. The gardens 
of the Tuileries are elegantly laid out in gravelled walks, 
terraces, flowers, shrubbery, groves of trees, interspersed with 
pools of water, and statues in bronze and marble. Here is 
the favourite promenade of the citizens and of strangers, who 
resort hither in immense crowds, especially on the Sabbath 
and holidays. 

The Palace Royal was originally a private hotel next to 
the enclosure of Charles VI. It is now a most magnificent 
pile of buildings, in the form of an immense quadrangle, sur- 
rounding an open court or garden. It is situated in the most 
business part of the city, and constitutes a grand assemblage 
of shops, galleries, coffee-houses and saloons, in a style of 
magnificence that astonishes one unaccustomed to such dis- 
plays. Here the visiter will find combined with the utmost 
elegance and taste, whatever man has been able to invent for 
the gratification of luxury and pleasure. Here fashion has 
established her empire, and here she reigns unrivalled over 
not only France, but the whole civilized world. Here are 
crowded together, merchandise of every kind, the richest 
stuffs, the most costly trinkets, and indeed every production 



CHAMPS-ELYSEES TOMB OF NAPOLEON. 23 

of nature and of art. It is the centre of trade, the focus of 
wealth, business, idleness, festivity, and every species of 
industry, talent, pleasure, dissipation. This immense building 
is said to contain two hundred and fifty shops, and is owned 
by Louis Philippe, the present King of the French, who is said 
to be the richest individual in the world. 

The Champ-de-Mars is an oblong enclosure, and extends 
from the Military School to the river. It is surrounded by 
ditches, garnished with masonry and a shelving terrace. It 
is usually appropriated to reviews of troops, and to great 
public festivities. It is said that more than five hundred 
thousand citizens were assembled within its precincts on July 
14th, 1790. 

The Champs-Elysees forms a spacious common, and is the 
most pleasant walk about Paris, and is the most magnificent 
entrance to the city. It is laid out in walks, planted with 
trees, &c. Superb national fetes are given here, on which 
occasions the trees are brilliantly illuminated. The remains 
of Napoleon passed under the triumphal arch, in this place, 
when brought into Paris from St. Helena. 

The Place Vendome is one of the most beautiful squares in 
Paris. In the centre stands a column in commemoration of 
the Austerlitz campaign. The statue of Napoleon stands 
upon the top, cast from the cannon taken in the campaign. 

The bridges of Paris, twenty-one in number, are durable 
and beautiful structures of stone and iron. 

The Place Concord is a delightful spot, located between the 
Tuileries and Napoleon's Triumphal Arch. It is of an oc- 
tagonal form, surrounded by four ditches, guarded by stone 
rails. Here stands the famous obelisk presented to the French 
by the Pacha of Egypt. It is a solid granite stone, ten to 
twelve feet square, eighty feet high, and weighs two hundred 
tons. lis sides are covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics. 
It is surrounded by fountains playing, statues, &c. &c. 
Here is the place also where Louis XVI. and his queen, and 
the present King's father, and many others, were brought to 
the scaffold during the French Revolution. 

The Hotel of Invalids is a magnificent edifice, composed of 
five regular courts, surrounded by numerous buildings. The 
dome is encompassed at the outside with forty columns of the 
composite order, covered in lead, and embellished with twelve 
gilt sides and a little dome, with columns, which support a 
pyramid crowned by a ball. It is three hundred feet high, 
and fifty in diameter. The pavement is in compartments, 
made of the most valuable marble. This building was thirty 



24 TOMB OF LA FAYETTE VERSAILLES LYONS. 

years erecting, and is considered one of the master-pieces of 
French architecture. It was designed for the residence of 
disabled soldiers, and contains about three thousand invalids, 
disabled by the loss of limbs, &c., mostly in the service of 
Napoleon. It has a beautiful garden attached, reaching to the 
Seine, and planted with flowers and shrubbery, for the amuse- 
ment and recreation of the officers. Each one has a small 
square of a few feet, for his own use, which he may employ 
and beautify at his pleasure. 

In this building is a chapel containing the tomb of the great 
Napoleon. It is circular in its form, and is separated from 
the great church of the Hospital, at a distance from noise and 
light. It is hung with violet velvet, glittering with beads. 
The coffin which encloses the imperial remains is of dark 
wood, resembling cedar, appears heavy and solid, and has a 
burnished handle at each end. It was covered with a canopy 
of purple velvet, lined with ermine, and richly figured with 
fleurs de lis ; at one corner was the initial N., and at the other, 
the imperial eagle wrought in gold. At the head was the 
Napoleon crown, and, on a cushion at the foot, were the 
various splendid insignia which once shone on his breast. 
Above waved the banners gained in mighty battles, Auster- 
litz, Ulm, Lodi, &c., which are inscribed in golden characters 
on the sides of the chapel, and a pyramidal urn near the head 
of the coffin bears the words Honneur et Patrie. The re- 
pository, or tomb, will be beneath the pavement of the main 
edifice, under the axis of the dome. The real monument will 
be a huge equestrian statue in the middle of the court. The 
coffin is at present surrounded by an iron balustrade, that his 
soldiers may approach at any time their inclination prompts. 

I also visited the tomb of La Fayette, a name dear to every 
American heart. His remains and those of his wife, lie in 
the eastern part of the city. The tomb is of plain marble, 
with suitable inscriptions. 

A cemetery outside the walls and to the north, will amply 
repay the visiter for the walk. It contains about one hundred 
acres, laid out in gravelled walks, planted with trees and 
shrubbery. It contains numerous tombs, monuments, &c. In 
some of these tombs they have small chapels, in which lamps 
are kept continually burning day and night, where friends 
resort to mourn and weep over the ashes of the dead. 

I visited Versailles, twelve miles from Paris. It is a beau- 
tiful place. Here are the palaces. They are still kept in repair 
by the government, but have the melancholy appearance of 
forsaken grandeur. 



BANKS OF THE RHONE AVIGNON — MARSEILLES. 25 

I spent sixty-two successive hours in the diligence on the 
road, three hundred and sixty miles from Paris to Lyons, and 
suffered much from fatigue. L3'^ons is the second city in 
France, and is situated in the southeast part of the kingdom, 
and is built on a point of land formed by the junction of the 
Rhone and Saone. A high hill overlooks the city, the view 
from which is very extensive and interesting. From its 
summit, the lofty Alps, clothed with snow, are visible. The 
buildings of Lyons are generally lofty and handsome. Most 
beautiful squares adorn the city, planted with trees, affording 
agreeable promenades to the inhabitants. I went from Lyons 
in a steamer. The river is very high, so much so, that we 
could not pass under some of the bridges, and I was obliged 
to obtain a passage on board of a smaller one which had fol- 
lowed us down the river. The banks of the Rhone are very 
picturesque, presenting to the eye a succession of towns, 
beautiful gardens, large vineyards, ancient castles, hills and 
mountains most singularly shaped, at one point rising abruptly 
to a considerable height, and at another gradually declining, 
and again at another, assuming all possible shapes and forms, 
and, what appears rather a novel sight to an American, en- 
tirely destitute of timber. We landed at Avignon, which is 
a large and fine city, of considerable note, at one time the 
residence of the Popes. 

From Avignon I went in a diligence to Marseilles, the dis- 
tance from Lyons being three hundred miles. This last 
journey being chiefly at night, I had no opportunity of seeing 
the country. Marseilles lies on the Mediterranean, and is the 
chief commercial city of France. It is completely enclosed, 
excepting towards the sea, by a succession of rocky hills, 
extending in the form of a crescent, with each horn touching 
the sea. The passage into the harbour is very narrow, but 
the harbour itself is large and spacious, and accommodates a 
large number of vessels, mostly of the smaller size and suited 
to the coasting trade. The quays extend considerably into 
the town, and are almost continually crowded with immense 
multitudes of people, speaking all languages, and dressed in 
the costume of almost every nation. The environs of the 
city appear to be well cultivated. A strong citadel is situated 
to the southeast, elevated upon a lofty cone of a hill, from 
which a splendid prospect is obtained of the city, surrounding 
country, the harbour, and the Mediterranean as far as vision 
can extend. The inhabitants of this place, and indeed of 
nearly all France, pay very little regard to the religious ob- 
servance of the Sabbath. Its sacred hours are shamefully 

3 



26 MARSEILLES* 

desecrated among all classes. In the morning they attend 
mass, and the rest of the day is generally devoted to amuse- 
ments and recreations ; the theatre, ball-room, and the lowest 
haunts of vice and dissipation are usually crowded to excess. 
The priests as well as the laity, with some few exceptions, 
not only indulge in these gross immoralities, but strenuously 
defend and advocate recreations and amusements upon the 
Sabbath. Such is the tendency of popery. I felt as though 
I were in the midst of Sodom, during the whole time I re- 
mained in France, and especially in the large cities. 

I left Marseilles in a French steamer. These vessels have 
their engines constructed upon the low-pressure principle, 
and move at about the same rate as those of England. 
Genoa in Italy was my destination, where I safely arrived 
after a pleasant passage. 



CHAPTER II. 

Genoa — Palaces — Council-Chamber — Columbus — Churches— University 
— Character of the Genoese — Leghorn — Annoyance from Watermen 
— Assassination — Elba — Phenomenon in the Mediterranean Sea — 
— Civita Vecchia — Rome — Police Regulations — Porta del Popolo — 
Egyptian Obelisk — Churches— St. Peter's— Christmas at St. Peter's 
— St. John Lateran— St. Maria Ma ggiore— Cradle of the Saviour — 
Palaces — the Vatican — Relics — Superstition — Capitol — Prison of St. 
Peter and St. Paul— Coliseum — Pantheon — Arch of Constantine — Of 
Titus — Trajan's Pillar — Column of Antoninus — Palatine Hill — Fig 
Tree of Romulus and Remus — Catacombs — Jews' Quarters — Aque- 
ducts — Museums — Academies — Colleges — Propaganda — Carnival — 
Passports. 

The situation of Genoa is perhaps without a rival for pic- 
turesque beauty. It is situated on an eminence commanding 
a fine bay, and from some points of view, an extent of very 
fine coast for thirty or forty miles each way. It is sheltered 
from the north by an amphitheatre of bold and verdant hills, 
and the town seems to spread over a wide semicircular tract 
of rocks and declivities, and the aspect of its white buildings, 
as they ascend in regular progression from the sea, is highly 
magnificent. The interior consists of narrow streets, or 
rather lanes, from eight to ten feet wide, between rows of 
immensely high buildings, the cornices of which, when you 
look up, appear almost to touch one another. 

The magnificence of Genoa consists chiefly in its sumptuous 
palaces, with their massy pillars, cornices of marble, spacious 
courts, arcades, and galleries. It has few fine streets, they 
being mostly narrow and winding. The houses are very 
lofty ^ and afford an agreeable shade to the pedestrian in 
summer. They are built of brick, and covered with a hard 
stucco, in imitation of marble, which is frequently painted in 
various devices. Many of the houses erected on the descent 
of the hill are furnished with platforms ornamented with 
treillages of honeysuckle, jessamine, and other sweet-smelling 
flowers: oranges and aloes also on the walls. Nothing can 
be more beautiful or romantic than the hanging gardens upon 
the bastions of the town. The palaces are literally crowded 
one upon another in the streets. They have not the appear- 



28 GENOA CHURCHES. 

ance of castles, but bespeak every where the residences of 
noblemen. Within and without is seen a profusion of marble, 
in every possible variety of form : columns, pilasters, balus- 
trades, staircases, statues, colossal figures of men and 
animals, fountains and open galleries, all constructed of the 
same rich material ; the latter ornamented with boxes of 
orange trees, myrtles, Spanish jessamine, and aloes; in a 
word, every thing that can decorate the interior of a house is 
here brought together, and often in such profusion as to give 
the spectator an idea rather of a regal palace than a private 
residence. It may literally be termed a city of palaces, having 
about ninety in number. 

One of the largest, but not the most handsome, is the Royal 
Palace, formerly the prefecture, and once the residence of 
the Doge. It is a large square building, somewhat resem- 
bling a fortress, but does not possess much to detain the 
traveller of taste. The new great Council-Chamber, built in 
the place of that burnt in 1777, is an extremely magnificent 
room, ornamented with columns of Spanish marble richly 
variegated with red and yellow, with statues between the 
columns. In the small summer Council-Chamber are some 
good paintings relative to the history of Columbus. One of 
these paintings represents Columbus landing in the West 
Indies, surrounded by the natives. Genoa being so near the 
birthplace of this illustrious man, as an American I felt a 
lively interest in all that pertained to the memory of the dis- 
coverer of America, " the land of the free and the home of 
the brave." 

I visited several of the churches, the interiors of which 
display much that, is attractive, though like other churches in 
popish countries, give sad evidence of being devoted more to 
superstition than to the M^orship of God. In one, behind the 
altar of a small chapel, I vi/'as shown with great care and 
reverence the remains of John the Baptist. My conductor 
manifested great solemnity of countenance during the whole 
procedure, which, however, was suddenly changed to an 
exhibition of much anger, because I gave him no more money 
than the fee usual on such occasions. You may give an 
Italian the most munificent compensation for the most trivial 
services rendered, and he will always exhibit strong symptoms 
of discontent, and will invariably ask for more. An English 
gentleman informed me that on one occasion he gave the 
enormous fee of a guinea, for some small service, on purpose 
to test the possibility of satisfying for once the cupidity of 
the Italians, but without success, for the usual symptoms of 



LEGHORN ANNOYANCE FROM WATERMEN. 29 

discontent were immediately displayed by his asking in a 
whining manner if that was all the gentleman intended to give 
him for his services ; of course more was refused him, when 
the fellow, with a scowl upon his countenance, and with great 
apparent contempt, slowly deposited his guinea in his pocket, 
and walked off without the least expression of thankfulness. 

The Academy of Genoa is divided into two parts, and 
embraces every thing relative to design, painting, sculpture, 
engraving, architecture, &c. It has professors in law, medi- 
cine, the sciences, and literature; an excellent library, and a 
rich cabinet of medals. Lectures are given by the professors 
in the palace of the university. Here is a botanic garden, 
rich in indigenous productions. 

The population of Genoa amounts to about 150,000 souls. 
The Genoese have the reputation of being keen and crafty in 
their commercial transactions. The Italian proverb says, 
that " they have a sea without fish, land without trees, and 
men without faith." The character which the Latin poets 
have given of them is not very different. Ausonius calls them 
" deceitful ;" Virgil says they are " born to cheat." Among 
the modern Genoese, however, are certainly some amiable 
traits of character. They are constant in their attendance on 
religious duties, and are engaged in many charitable associa- 
tions for visiting the sick and burying the dead. 

From Genoa I passed in a steamer to Leghorn, a seaport 
in the kingdom of Tuscany. The steamers on the Mediter- 
ranean never land their passengers on a wharf or quay as in 
England and America, but invariably anchor some distance 
from the shore. Hence a boat has to be hired, at the passen- 
ger's expense, for himself and luggage, both on boarding and 
leaving the vessel. A vast number of these boats crowd 
around every steamer upon her arrival, and such a squabble 
and uproar invariably ensues as beggars description. Ima- 
gine some forty or fifty boats, containing each one, and some 
two men, dirty, ragged, black, ignorant wretches, all 
endeavouring to force their boats to the steps of the steamer ; 
one gaining the desired position, only for a moment, to be 
thrust away without the least ceremony by the next success- 
ful competitor; the whole motley crew vociferating at the top 
of their voices for passengers and luggage ; all this accompa- 
nied, without a moment's cessation, with the greatest noise, 
confusion, and uproar. A stranger to such scenes stands com- 
pletely bewildered, wondering what will be the issue, expect- 
ing every moment to witness one general battle, resulting in 
bloody noses and black eyes, or something worse. The 

3* 



30 LEGHORN — -ASSASSINATION. / 

strongest and most successful, however, maintains his position 
until he obtains a passenger and his luggage, and then retires 
to let another one struggle for his turn, until the scene termi- 
nates in about three-fourths of the number of boats being 
obliged to return to the landing without employment. All 
this is repeated upon every fresh arrfval in port. The 
traveller has to work his way in the best manner he can, 
gradually becoming accustomed to the annoyance. On my 
departure from Leghorn, I witnessed an occurrence among 
the boats which surrounded our steamer, that filled me with 
unutterable horror. Two men in separate boats were quar- 
relling, as is frequently the case, when one sprung upon the 
other with a drawn dagger, and was in the very act of 
plunging the deadly weapon into the breast of his antagonist, 
when a third boatman quickly leaped upon the assassin, and 
threw him down upon his back, and thus averted the fatal 
blow. 

Assassination is common throughout all Italy. At Leghorn 
the following statement was well authenticated. An assassin, 
with his own hand and with the aid of those desperadoes 
whom he hired to aid him, at the rate of four pauls a head, 
(a paul is equal to about ten cents,) had murdered seventy- 
four individuals, who had in some vvay become offensive to 
him. He was finally taken by the civil authorities, and con- 
fined in prison, awaiting his trial when I left the place. A 
good bribe, however, would doubtless soon set him at liberty. 
It is a common occurrence for an individual to stab another 
in the street, and, even where death ensues, the assassin walks 
at large unmolested by the police-officers. What a deplora- 
ble state of morals for a country pre-eminently devoted to the 
forms at least of a religion professing to have virtue and jus- 
tice for its foundation ! But such is the deplorable state of 
things in all popish countries. 

Leghorn is a free port, defended by a mole and excellent 
fortifications. The town has about sixty thousand inhabitants, 
of whom ten thousand are Jews. The general form of the 
city is square. Part of it has the convenience of canals, by 
means of which merchandise is brought to the very doors of 
many of the warehouses, one of which canals is five miles in 
length, and joining the Arno, merchandise and passengers 
are thus conveyed to Pisa. The streets are straight ; the 
principal one very broad ; the squares spacious and hand- 
some, but not regular ; the great church niagnificent. 

Here I found foreigners from all parts of the world. The 
streets were thronged with Turks, Armenians, Greeks, Moors, 



CIVITA VECCUIA— ROME POLICE KEGULATIONS. 31 

&c., exhibiting a most picturesque appearance in their various 
national costumes. 

From Leghorn 1 sailed to Civiia Vecchia, passing near the 
Isle of Elba, renowned as the place of Bonaparte's exile. 
During the passage the phenomenon of the Mediterranean Sea 
having no tide, frequently occupied my mind. I indulged in 
various speculations on this subject ; but as the most learned 
have been unable to account for this anomaly in nature, I 
had to leave the subject as I found it, involved in the thickest 
mazes of intellectual darkness. 

Civita Vecchia has some commerce, but is a place of little 
note. Here we landed and hired coaches to carry us to 
Rome, the distance being about sixty miles. For the first 
twelve miles we travelled near the sea coast. This part of 
our route was interesting on account of the beautiful land and 
water scenery which every where met the eye. As we ad- 
vanced towards Rome, every thing seemed to indicate the 
vicinity of a great city. Handsome stone bridges, some ap- 
parently very ancient, great arches over gateways adorned 
with sculpture and statues, elegant villas, &c., all excited our 
admiration and kept us on the continual look-out for new and 
still more attractive objects of the same kind. Every where 
the attention was solicited to contemplate flowers, shrubbery, 
trees, fruits, all growing in the most luxuriant manner, and 
calculated to feast the eye with the enchanting spectacle. I 
cared not how slow the coach moved along, so that I might 
spend hours in the gratification which the scene before and 
around me presented, exhibiting the works of Nature in their 
richest attire, aided by the most skilful display which Art 
could devise. But we rolled on at a rapid rate, and entered 
the great city through Porta del PojJolo, or the Flaminian 
Gate. Plere we had to deliver up our passports, for which 
each one received a receipt, in which were described the regu- 
lations to be observed by strangers during their stay in the city. 
One of these regulations requires an application to be made to 
the police-office, within a certain number of days, for a per- 
mit to remain a specified time within the walls of the city. 
Here, as well as every where in Italy, the most exorbitant 
fees have to be paid in all these and similar transactions. 
Through my own negligence, I suffered the specified time to 
pass without applying for my permit, and experienced some 
difficulty before I succeeded. And had it not been for the 
attention which 1 experienced from the American Consul, in 
my difficulty, I would have been subjected to some heavy ex- 
penses. These permits must be renewed after the expiration 



32 PORTA DEL POPOLO. 

of a limited time, when another opportunity is afforded the 
police-officers to fleece the unfortunate strangers thus unmer- 
cifully subjected to their unreasonable demands. Judging 
from what I have seen, as well as from what 1 have heard 
from others, every officer in Italy connected with the govern- 
>- ment, may be bribed on any occasion. After entering the 
city, we were driven to the custom-house, and there detained 
until 10 at night, while our baggage underwent the inspection 
of the proper officers ; and by the time we reached our hotel, 
suffering from these annoyances, added to the fatigue from 
our journey, we found ourselves far from being in the best 
humour. 

" And what is it (every one is disposed to ask with Mr. 
Alison) that constitutes that emotion of sublime delight, which 
every man of common sensibility feels upon the first prospect 
of Rome ? It is not the scene of destruction which is before 
him. It is not the Tiber diminished in his imagination to a 
paltry stream, flowing amid the ruins of that magnificence, 
which it once adorned. It is not the triumph of superstition 
over the wreck of human greatness, and its monuments 
erected upon the very spot, where the first honours of hu- 
manity have been gained. It is ancient Rome which fills 
his imagination. It is the country of Csesar, of Cicero, and 
of Virgil, which is before him. It is the mistress of the 
world which he sees, and who seems to him to arise again 
from the tomb, to give laws to the universe. All that the 
labours of his youth, or the studies of his maturer age have 
acquired, with regard to the history of this great people, open 
at once before his imagination, and present him with a field 
of high and solemn imagery, which never can be exhausted." 
It is justly observed of Rome, that if the universe contains 
one city which can excite striking ideas of the instability of 
human things, Rome is beyond contradiction that city. The 
recollection of the blood which it has shed, always mingles a 
vast deal of indifference, in the mind of the philosopher, with 
the admiration of what is called Roman grandeur ; but that 
it possesses a very great degree of this quality, even in its 
decay, cannot be denied. Not another city can be found 
in the world, the entrance to which is designed with more 
magnificence, than that of Rome, by the Porta del Popolo. 
The gate is of the architecture of Michael Angelo and Vig- 
nola ; it leads to a piazza, where the two famous twin-churches 
appear in front ; between, and on each side of those churches, 
are three straight and level streets. The street on the right 
leads to the Ripetta of the Tiber, that in the middle is above 



EG¥rTIAN OBELISK CHUECHES- — ST. TETER's. 33 

a mile in length, runs through the naidst of the Campus Mar- 
tius, and is terminated by the buildings on the Capitoline 
Hill ; the street on the left leads to the grand staircase in the 
Piazza di Spagna, and was intended by Sixtus Quintus to be 
joined to his long Strada Felice, and thus continued quite to 
the Amphitheatre Castrense, forming one continued straight 
street of more than two English miles and a half in length. 

In the midst of the Piazza del Popolo rises an Egyptian 
obelisk, in the view of which all these three streets nobly 
terminate. The shaft of this obelisk was originally one solid 
mass of granite. It is 82 feet in height ; and its sides are 
richly covered with hieroglyphics. 

The population of Rome is at present only 160,000; 
though, in the time of Claudius, including the suburbs, the 
whole population was nearly four millions. The houses are 
generally of stone, or stuccoed. No other city contains such 
a number of churches, pillars, obelisks, and fountains. 

The magnificent church of St. Peter's is an imposing 
object. Yet the open space before it, the grand circular 
colonnade, and the immense buildings of the Vatican over- 
hanging it from an eminence closely adjoining, reduce the 
appearance of its magnitude, greatly injure the general 
effect, and deprive the edifice of much of its m.ajesty. The 
front is so lofty also, that much of the cupola, and even of the 
towers in front, are hidden in approaching the church. The 
building being also destitute of any grand, bold, or imposing 
cornice or balustrade, on the top of its walls, it has rather an 
unfinished appearance. It owes much of its beauty to the 
fine white stone of which it is constructed, being untarnished 
by age, and uncontaminated by smoke. Pope Nicholas I. 
began this church about the year 1450; it was continued 
under the reign of eighteen other popes, and completed in the 
course of a hundred and thirty-five years. It must have 
cost an immense sum of money ; some state the entire 
expense at one hundred and sixty millions of dollars, though 
I think this must be an exaggeration. Its height to the top 
of the cross, is four hundred and thirty-seven and a half feet ; 
its length seven hundred and twenty-nine feet ; its breadth 
three hundred and sixty-four feet. St. Peter's stands in the 
corner of the city almost alone. 

On entering this gigantic and imposing edifice, the first 
object that attracts attention is the immense Baldaquin, 
canopy, or pavilion, supported on four spiral columns ot 
bronze, one hundred and twenty-two feet high, made of Corin- 
thian brass. This covers the altar and confession, or the 



34 CHRISTMAS AT ST. PETER's. 

tomb of St. Peter, and is immediately under the centre of the 
great cupola, covered entirely with mosaic work. Beyond 
this the church terminates with the great tribune, containing 
the chair of St. Peter inclosed in gilt bronze, and supported 
by the four doctors of the church. This church contains 
much modern sculpture. The bronze statue of St. Peter, in a 
sitting posture, and which attracts all the notice of the faith- 
ful as they enter, is said to have been originally formed out 
of that of Jupiter Capiiolinus. The sandal, about half an inch 
thick, and a part of the great toe of the statue, have been 
worn away by the kisses of the devout. 

The roofs and ceilings of the building are superbly orna- 
mented with gilt stucco ; the church is embellished with 
magnificent monuments, grand mosaic pictures, with paint- 
ings in oil and in fresco. On the eve of St. Peter's day, this 
immense church is illuminated with paper lanterns from the 
bottom to the top of the cross. At nine in the evening it is 
re-illuminated by fewer, but infinitely more brilliant blazes of 
fire, confined in iron cages ; which in a manner extinguish the 
lanterns, and exhibit the most splendid sight imaginable ; and 
such is the rapidity with which the new light is communicated 
from the bottom of the church to the top of the cross, that it 
is generally done while the clock strikes the hour of nine. 

On Christmas eve, at 11 o'clock, I had an opportunity of 
witnessing the ceremony of the mass by the Pope in person, 
in the Vatican. On Christmas day I was also present at the 
august and imposing ceremonies at St. Peter's. After the 
Popes had celebrated mass, about seventy cardinals, in great 
state, and most splendidly attired, one after the other in suc- 
cession, approached the throne of his holiness, kneeled at his 
feet, and devoutly kissed a portion of his robe projected 
towards them by his own hands for that purpose. At the 
close of the solemnities, the Pope made his exit, sitting upon 
a superb chair of state, or kind of throne, borne upon the 
shoulders of eight men, passing between two rows of soldiers, 
extending through the entire length of St. Peter's, and 
dressed in the richest uniforms. As far as I could observe, 
he sat like a statue, turning his eyes neither to the right nor 
left, and seemed to take no notice of surrounding objects, 
although thousands of persons crowded the building. The 
church on that day was most richly decorated, which, united 
with the appearance produced by the splendid costumes of all 
the officers of state, a large body of soldiery in the gayest 
uniforms, and an immense crowd of nobility, ambassadors, 
and persons of high rank and distinction, superbly attired, 



ST. JOHN LATERAN — ST. MARIA MAGGIORE. 35 

« 

and, in connexion, the imposing ceremonies of the occasion, 
rendered the whole scene the most brilliant and enchanting 
that I ever witnessed. 

During Christmas week, Catholic mothers in Rome kept 
their children bound in swaddling clothes, wrapping long 
bandages around their lower limbs and bodies, in imitation of 
our Saviour at Bethlehem; a most ridiculous farce! 

The church of St. John JLateran is an edifice renowned for 
its antiquity as well as the beauty of its embellishments. 
This church passes for the grandest in Rome next to St. 
Peter's, and is that of the see of the Sovereign Pontiff, who 
takes formal possession of it when enthroned, on becoming 
Pope. The interior is particularly grand and noble. On 
each side of the nave are six colossal statues in marble, 
about fifteen feet high, in all twelve, representing the Apostles. 

St. Maria Maggiore is situated on the extreme summit of 
the Esquiline Hill, in the centre of two great squares, which 
forms a vista to two streets, nearly two miles in length. Its 
site is the most noble that the imagination can form. It was 
erected in the time of Pope Siberius, and was the first 
church dedicated to the Virgin, about the year 350. It is 
thought by some to be one of the noblest churches in the 
world. Two fronts, with their porticoes, appear in the two 
squares before mentioned, of modern architecture and differ- 
ent decorations. The principal of these consists of a double 
colonnade: the lower, Ionic; the upper, Corinthian. In the 
front of this church, upon a lofty pedestal, a Corinthian pillar 
supports a brazen image of the Virgin. The other side pre- 
sents a bold semicircular front, crowned with two domes, 
with an Egyptian obelisk before it, consisting of a single piece 
of granite, sixty feet high, terminating in a cross of bronze. 
These, upon the whole, give the exterior of this church an air 
of grandeur. Nor is the interior, divided into three great 
naves, with about forty columns of white marble and granite, 
by any means unworthy of its external magnificence. It is 
thought to be the only church, excepting St. Peter's, which 
has a baldaquin in the place of a high altar. Its roof was gilt 
with the first gold brought from the new world, after its dis- 
covery by Columbus. In this church, during Christmas 
week, they expose la Sacra Cuna, or a few planks, which it 
is said made a part of the Saviour's cradle at Jerusalem, a 
present made to this church by a Spanish princess I The 
Franciscans, at the church of Ara Coeli, also expose another 
cradle, at this time of the year, which never fails to bring 
alms and admirers, as a reward for their ingenuity. Another 



36 PALACES — THE VATICAN — KELICS. 

source of revenue also arises from the credulity of those 
people who are made to believe, that, by ascending the 
numerous steps of this church on their bare knees, they will 
be lucky in the lottery for the ensuing year ! 

I visited a little chapel called St. Peter in Montario ; it is 
on a hill inside the walls, in the western part of the city ; and 
is said to be the spot on which St. Peter was crucified. Ano- 
ther small chapel 1 visited about two miles from the cit}?-, in 
a church called St. Paul's, in the centre of which they say 
that the apostle was put to death. Here a lamp is kept 
continually burning over the ashes of the saint. But it would 
swell the size of my book beyond what is desirable, to describe 
all the numerous churches contained in this famous city. 

The term palace, as applied in Italy, must be understood 
as embracing not merely the dwelling of a sovereign, but any 
residence of the nobility. But I shall refer here only to the 
residence of the Pope. The Vatican, which joins St. Peter's 
church, is the residence of his holiness during the winter and 
spring. The extent of this palace covers a space of one thou- 
sand two hundred feet in length, and one thousand in breadth. 
It is rather an assemblage of palaces than one only, though 
irregular in form and style. It is three stories high, and con- 
tains an infinity of great halls and saloons, rooms, chapels, 
galleries, corridors, &c. It has about twenty courts or vesti- 
bules, eight grand staircases, and nearly two hundred of an 
inferior description. The grand entrance is from the portico 
of St. Peter's by the Scala Regia, probably the most superb 
staircase in the world, consisting of four flights of marble 
steps, adorned with a double row of marble Ionic pillars. 

I visited many places and objects rendered sacred by the 
superstition of this priest-ridden people, and examined many 
of their imaginary relics. Among these was the Sacred 
Staircase (Scala Sancta) which- consists of twenty-eight mar- 
ble steps, said to have been brought by the Empress Helena, 
mother of Constantino, from Pilate's palace at Jerusalem. It 
is situated behind the Triclinium, and is opposite the church 
of St. John Lateran. Tradition affirms that the Saviour went 
up these steps when brought before the bar of Pilate. They 
are white marble, covered over with oaken boards, with holes 
bored in them, through which a sight may be obtained of the 
marble, the steps themselves being considered too sacred to 
be polluted by the touch of mortals. Devotees are permitted 
to ascend this staircase only on their bare knees, notwith- 
standing I and the company with me passed up and down 
upon our feet. I saw several, both male and female, perform 



THE CAPITOL. 37 

this act of devotion, stopping and praying at every step. 
They were of the lower classes of society, dirty and ragged ; 
but I was informed that many respectable people frequently 
perform this superstitious act. This feat is considered meri- 
torious, and sick persons not unfrequently are brought by 
their friends to this staircase, that they may have the last 
opportunity of performing so meritorious an act of devotion. 

At Giovanne Latharanna are kept an innumerable quan- 
tity of all kinds of relics. I was shown pillars and slabs of 
the height of Christ's person ! and a marble pillar which is 
said to have been rent at the time when he gave up the ghost 
on Calvary ! This last I examined very closely, but could 
not discover by what process the rent might have been 
effected. I was shown also a wooden table, which was said 
to be the identical table used by Christ and the apostles at 
the last supper ! These sons of superstition also exhibited 
a piece of wood, which they endeavoured (without success) 
to make me believe was a portion of the very cross on which 
the Saviour was crucified I But if the recital of these ex- 
hibitions of popish folly is as destitute of interest to the 
reader, as the sight itself of the pretended relics failed to 
produce in my mind any, the least credence in their identity, 
he will, doubtless, be glad to be relieved from any further 
contemplation of the subject of relics. 

The Capitol is one of the finest edifices, and one of the 
most advantageously situated, in modern Rome. It rises 
majestically from the Capitoline Hill, once so crowded with 
temples, that it seemed to have been the residence of all the 
gods. The best approach is from the Via di Ara Coeli ; 
at the extremity of which two lofty flights of steps present 
themselves, nearly close together, and consisting each of about 
twelve hundred steps; the one to the left inclines considerably 
in that direction, and leads to the church of Ara Coeli, sup- 
posed to occupy the spot on which once stood the temple of 
Jupiter of the Capitol, and is situated behind the left wing of 
the present palace of the Capitol. The other flight of stairs 
ascends in a straight direction, facing the street. On each 
side, at the bottom, is a large figure of a lioness, which serve 
as fountains. Ascending the flight of steps, at. the top, are 
statues of Castor and Pollux, each holding a horse. Arrived 
at the summit of the stairs a considerable area presents itself: 
the front facing, and the sides occupied by handsome ranges 
of buildings of two stories, which constitute the modern 
Palace. The wing to the left is the Museum ; that to the 
right, the palace of the Conservators, in which is a gallery 

4 



38 PRISON OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL COLISEUM. 

of paintings. The main body is occupied as public offices, 
and a prison, and is detached by a considerable open space 
from the two wings. In the centre of the area stands the 
superb equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, in bronze, and 
in the finest preservation. The ancient Capitol fronted the 
present buildings towards the Arch of Severus, behind the 
main body of the present Capitol, and between it and the 
wing to the left, as you ascend the stairs. The foundations 
are still visible in that part opposite the Temple of Jupiter 
Capitolinus, and also on the other side towards the Temple 
of Concord, in a court belonging to Santa Maria della Con- 
zolaziona. 

While on the Hill, I examined what they call the prison of 
St. Peter and St. Paul. It is entirely under ground, and in 
descending we used lamps, it being perfectly shut out from 
the light of day. I suppose we descended some thirty or 
forty feet. It is more like a well than any thing else to 
which I can compare it. At the bottom is a marble pillar, 
in which is an iron ring fastened, to which, it is said, the 
prisoners used to be chained. It is altogether a damp, dis- 
mal, subterranean cell, and strikingly portrays the barbarism 
of olden times. 

The Coliseum, or Flavian Amphitheatre, built by Vespa- 
sian and^his son Titus, principally by captives from Jerusa- 
lem, is of an oval form, and was situated near the colossal 
statue of Nero, not far from the imperial palace, and is one 
of the finest and best-preserved relics of Roman magnificence. 
It is five hundred and fifty feel long, four hundred and seventy 
broad, one hundred and sixty high, and capable of containing 
eighty thousand people seated, and twenty thousand stand- 
ing. The entrance to this amphitheatre is by eighty arcades, 
seventy-six of which were for the people, two for the gladia- 
tors and wild beasts, and two for the emperor and his suite. 
This building is composed of four stories; an open portico, 
divided into eighty arches, containing three, while the fourth 
was open to the air. The arena, or place where the com- 
batants engaged, was two hundred and sixty-four feet long, 
and one hundred and sixty wide. We owe what remains of 
this grand amphitheatre to Pope Benedict, who considered it 
as sanctified by the blood of a number of Christians con- 
demned to be torn by wild beasts. He caused fourteen 
small crucifixes, having small shrines, .painted with the re- 
presentations of the sufferings of the Saviour, to be erected 
within the arena, and granting it all the privileges of a 



PANTHEON ARCH OF COIVSTANTINE OF TITUS. 39 

church, thus saved it from the hands of modern Goths and 
Vandals. 

The Pantheon, once the pride of Rome, and so called from 
being dedicated to all the gods, still remains one of the most 
magnificent and complete of all the ancient temples. Its 
form is circular: its portico is a model of perfection; it is 
of the Corinthian order, as is the whole building. It is sup- 
ported by sixteen columns of Oriental granite ; the shaft of 
each is a single stone, forty-two feet English measure; eight 
are placed in front, the other eight in the rear. The whole 
of the portico was covered with gilt brass, which Urban 
VIII. employed to make the superb baldaquin in St. Peter's, 
and some cannon in the castle of St. Angelo. Around the 
interior are seven recesses or chapels, formed in the walls, 
each ornamented with two beautiful fluted columns. Between 
the chapels are altars for Christian worship, added since the 
whole was converted into a church. The floor is entirely 
inlaid with precious marbles. The diameter of this building 
in the inside is one hundred and forty-nine English feet ; the 
walls are eighteen feet thick ; their height one hundred and 
eighty-five feet. 

Among other beautiful ruins that remain in tolerable pre- 
servation, the Arch of Constantino is one of the most promi- 
nent, composed of the remains of that of Trajan. It is all 
of marble, and retains four capital bas-reliefs. The arch 
was so constructed that the musicians for the triumph might 
be placed in an apartment over the void. The moment the 
procession reached the arch, the band began to play, and 
continued playing until the whole had passed. 

The Arch of Titus is said to have been the first in which 
the Composite order was used. It was erected for the triumph 
of the Emperor over Jerusalem ; and the bas-reliefs on one 
side represent the ark and the candlesticks of Solomon's 
temple ; and, on the other, the Emperor in his car, drawn 
by four horses. No Jew will pass under this gateway. 

Trajan's Pillar stands in a small square, the base nearly 
fifteen feet under the present level. It is of the Tuscan 
order. Here are twenty-three compartments, sculptured in 
bas-relief, ascending in a spiral line, representing the princi- 
pal scenes in the Dacian war. By a staircase in the interior, 
people ascend to the top, now crowned with a colossal statue 
of St. Peter. The elevation of this pillar is about one hun- 
dred and twenty English feet, and the shaft alone upwards of 
ninety-two in height. 

The Column of Antoninus, or, more properly speaking, of 



40 PALATINE HILL FIG-TREE OF ROMULUS AND REMUS. 

Aurelius, stands quite clear of the ground, and is to be seen 
to more advantage than the former, in the centre of a spacious 
square, called Piazza Colonna. It is higher than Trajan's 
Pillar, the elevation of the shaft alone being one hundred and 
six feet, and the pedestal is very lofty. On the summit is a 
statue of St. Paul, erected in 1589, when the column was 
restored by Sixtus V. 

The Palatine Hill is that renowned spot which Romulus 
considered as large enough for his city. From this hill most 
of the remarkable antiquities of Rome may be seen. It con- 
tains some of the most striking remains of Roman grandeur. 
Here stood the Imperial Palace, surrounded by the other 
hills of Rome, in a delightful situation, about one hundred 
and twenty feet higher than the Via Sacra. Augustus, 
Tiberius, and Nero built on this hill, and the building of the 
latter was found so vast that Titus and Domitian destroyed a 
large portion of it. The remains of the immense walls, more 
than one hundred and twenty feet high, are now standing, 
with which Nero filled up the void in order to extend the 
level of the hill. 

The celebrated fig-tree, under which Romulus -and Remus 
had been exposed, stood on the side of the Palatine Hill, near 
the church of St. Maria Liberatrice. 

The Catacombs will amply repay the visiter for the trouble 
of exploring their numerous compartments. They are sub- 
terranean cavities of great antiquity, communicating with 
one another, more than thirty of which are known and dis- 
tinguished by particular appellations. Each vault is com- 
monly about fifteen or eighteen feet wide, and the height of 
the interior arch from twelve to fifteen feet. The niches for 
the bodies are about two feet and a half wide. Various con- 
jectures have been formed as to the original cause of these 
singular excavations. But whatever their first use may have 
been, they have since served as receptacles for the persecuted 
primitive Christians ; as a refuge for the Jews, who appear 
to have had one synagogue in them at least ; and lastly, as 
a repository for the dead. In several, the halls or open 
spaces are painted. Daniel in the lions' den, Jonah emerg- 
ing from the jaws ot the whale, and the good Shepherd bear- 
ing a lamb on his shoulders, seem to have been the favourite 
subjects. Some of these decorations are interesting and give 
a pleasing picture of the manners of the times, while others 
exhibit an affecting representation of the sufferings of the 
Christians. It is said to be somewhat hazardous to attempt 
to explore these dreary depositories of death, this peculiar 



jews' aUARTERS— AaUEDUCTS. 41 

dominion of the "King of Terrors," on account of the danger 
of their falling in, or the extinction of the lights from the 
want of air. 

The Ghetto Degli Ebrei, that part of the city, which may 
be called the Duke's Place, has long been known as the part 
to which the numerous Jews in Rome are confined. These 
unfortunate persons were known at first as the descendants 
of the many captive Jews brought to Rome by Titus, after 
his conquest of Jerusalem. They still live in a state of 
slavery, and their increasing numbers, as well as the narrow 
limits to which they are confined, subject them to the greatest 
inconveniences. They are not only oppressively taxed, but 
certain numbers of them are obliged to listen to sermons 
preached at stated times for their conversion. They are, 
however, indulged with a synagogue in their quarters. 

The Aqueducts are truly proud monuments of Roman 
grandeur. Some of them still serve to bring water to the 
city, of an excellent quality. Like most of the Roman 
works, the aqueducts were built with such accuracy and 
solidity, as to render them indestructible by every thing but 
the hand of time. One bearing the name of Anio Vetus, 
forty-two thousand paces in length, was almost subterranean, 
not appearing more than seven hundred above ground. A 
considerable part of its ruins are yet to be seen at Tivoli. 
Another, which was the work of Martius Titius, was brought 
from the Pelignian Mountains by a very circuitous route. 
The ruins of this are grand. The pillars have an interval 
of sixteen feet betvi^een them. The canal, through which 
this water ran, was not arched, but covered with stones of an 
enormous size. 

The many beautiful gardens in and around Rome, foun- 
tains, and many other things equally interesting and attrac- 
tive, 1 am compelled to pass by unnoticed, merely from a 
desire to keep the size of my book within reasonable limits. 

The museums and academies I cannot feel myself justified 
in passing without giving the reader some general description 
of their present condition. 

The museum in the Vatican is, without question, the prin- 
cipal depository of the remains of the fine arts, particularly 
the sculpture of the happiest ages of Greece and Rome. All 
the discoveries made upon the Roman soil, or wherever the 
Pontiff had any influence or power, are here collected and 
arranged, in difl^erent apartments, to the greatest advantage. 
We approach this treasury of the arts by the great Belvidere 
gallery. The stranger ought not to omit availing himself of* 

4* 



42 MUSEUMS ACADEMIES — COLLEGES — PKOPAGANDA. 

the beautiful view from a balcony adjoining, which has given 
the denomination of Belvidere to this part of the Vatican. 
Rome and the country to the north are nowhere seen to 
such advantage. The first part is about five hundred feet in 
length. In these apartments, under every imaginable form, 
may be seen the most beautiful marbles, with granite of every 
kind, basalt, lapis lazuli, serpentine, alabaster, the red and 
green antico, and, in fact, every substance upon which the 
chisel, guided by the hand of a master, could be applied with 
success. At the extremity of one of the galleries, twenty- 
five steps are ascended, which lead into an elegant oblong 
saloon, at the right hand of which is a noble statue of Jupiter 
Tonans, displayed in full majesty, and in execution of design, 
little if at all inferior to the most celebrated statues of anti- 
quity. Another saloon contains a great number of different 
animals exquisitely sculptured in various coloured marbles. 

The pr ncipal academies are those of St. Luke, the Ar- 
cades, Archeology, Lineci ; that of the sculptors, the modern 
painters, mosaic-workers, workers in stucco, &c. The most 
ancient of these is the academy of St. Luke. That of Lineci 
is composed of persons who give themselves entirely to 
the study of the mathematics, physics, or natural history. 
Sculpture has at present very few amateurs in Rome. The 
academy of Painters can still boast of some excellent artists. 
The art of stuccoing is nowhere carried to such perfection as 
in Italy. 

The Roman College is in the quarter called Delia Pigna. 
It is a vast edifice, destined to the teaching of the belles lettres, 
and the only one of its kind in Rome. Here are taught the 
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages, rhetoric, philosophy, 
theology, and ecclesiastical history. 

The Propaganda is a college or seminary where youth are 
instructed, who are disposed or intended to propagate the 
principles of the Catholic religion in foreign countries. 
Among other curiosities, this college formerly possessed a 
copy of the Koran, said to have been dictated by Mohammed 
to one of his disciples. 

Though Rome affords but few attractions to the gay and 
volatile, no public spectacles being allowed, excepting in 
Carnival time, which lasts from the 7th January to Ash 
Wednesday, yet then diversion is really pursued with a 
degree of ardour unknown in capitals where the inhabitants 
are under no such restraints. Seven or eight theatres are 
then open. Balls, masquerades, and horse-races also take 
place during the Carnival. In the Corso, the middle of the 



CARNIVAL. 43 

street is, in Carnival time, occupied by three rows of coaches, 
all in procession ; those which compose the two outermost 
going up one side and down the other, and so making a 
continual circuit. The central is composed of persons of the 
highest quality, where the equipages display great magnifi- 
cence and a fantastical style of ornament never indulged but 
at this time. The coaches are preceded by running foot- 
men, and attended by numerous servants in splendid liveries. 
The great variety of droll masks on foot is by far the most 
diverting part of the scene. Here are numbers of coarse 
athletic carmen, dressed as women, fanning themselves with 
a pretended delicacy and listlessness highly comic, and hang- 
ing on the arms of their mistresses, whose little slender 
figures, strutting in breeches, make no less ridiculous an 
appearance. Avery common character in these masquerades 
is a man dressed like a Quaker, who runs up to every body, 
making a sort of thrilling, buzzing noise with his lips, and 
exhibiting a very idiotic stare. For the convenience of the 
race, which follows the promenade on the Corso, the coaches 
are all drawn up in a row on each side of the street, the 
foot-passengers waiting between them and the houses, or 
seated in chairs and upon benches, in anxious expectation ; 
at length a number of little horses without riders start from 
a stand in the Piazza del Popolo, decked with ribands, 
intermixed with tinsel and other rattling matter, and small 
nails so contrived as to prick their sides at every step, 
and spur them on. Nothing can be more silly in the eye of 
a stranger than this race ; however, here is no waste of 
fortune, no sharping, nor any tampering with jockeys. The 
prize is nothing more than a little flag, and this is bestowed 
by chance. On these occasions the houses in the Corso are 
ornamented with tapestry, hung out of the windows. On 
the evening of the last day of the Carnival, the diversions are 
generally carried to the highest pitch. Every body is full 
of tricks, and all distinctions of rank and persons are laid 
aside. About dusk, almost every body takes a lighted taper 
in the hand, and some hold several, the amusement consist- 
ing in trying to extinguish each other's lights. Some carry 
large flambeaux. All the windows, and even the roofs, are 
crowded with spectators. At this time, the carriages that 
parade up and down, resemble triumphal cars and other 
whimsical objects. The company within carry tapers and a 
plentiful ammunition of sugar plums, with which they pelt 
their acquaintance on each side; while they themselves are 
exposed to the jokes and observations of any body who 



44 CARNIVAL I'xlSSPORTS. _ 

chooses to stand on the steps of their coach doors, which are 
very low, and the ladies are not backward in wit and 
repartee; but when they have no answer ready, a volley of 
sugar-plums generally repulses their besiegers ; while the 
ranks on the raised footway, and the crowd below are in a 
continual roar of laughter. 

Although I made every effort to see all the curiosities, and 
noted places, and objects of interest in and about Rome ; yet 
1 had to leave many things unseen, from want of time and 
opportunity, and from the endless variety to be examined. 
Nor have I thought it advisable to attempt a description of 
all that I did see, as it would require volumes to embrace 
such minute description. I left this city of stupendous 
wonders with regret, especially St. Peter's, which I frequently 
visited, and from the contemplation of which I always retired 
with extreme reluctance. 

Before my departure from Rome, it was necessary to have 
my passport m5«e(^ through the American consul, and that for 
the very gate through which my future route lay; for no 
stranger is allowed to pass out of any other gate on his 
journey than the one named in his passport. Much of the 
pleasure of a traveller is marred by the annoyance to which 
he is often subjected and continually liable, in France and 
Italy, on account of his passport having to pass through so 
many hands, and the tedious delays which not unfrequently 
ensue, retarding the progress of his journey. Much of this 
vexatious delay, in Italy especially, is caused for the mere 
object of extorting bribes from the unsuspecting traveller. 



CHAPTER III. 

Incidents on the Road— Naples— Streets— Shops— Mole— Churches- 
Palaces — Theatres — Museum — Neapolitans — Superstition — Royal 
Garden — The Bay — Vesuvius — Herculaneum — Pompeii — Character 
of the Italians — Leaving- the Bay — Passage to Malta — Stromboli — 
Etna— Malta— Fortifications— Valetta— Knights of Malta— Palaces 
— Cathedral — Floriana— Citta Vecchia — Grotto of St. Paul — Cata- 
combs—Climate — Quarantine — History of Malta — Blockade. 

I LEFT Rome for Naples, distant one hundred and fifty- 
two nf)iles, through the gate called Porta St. Giovanni, in a 
coach drawn by six horses. The Italian horses are generally 
small and poor, and their gait is of course slow. We took 
the route over the Pontine marshes, being the shortest, best, 
and most frequented. For a considerable distance, the road 
lay through a beautiful and rich country. We passed many 
ruins, such as ancient towers, castles, &c. About twenty- 
five miles of the distance, the road through the marshes was 
planted on each side with elm trees, forming a beautifully 
extended avenue. Then we entered a mountainous region, 
abounding with gorges and ravines, which were very re- 
cently infested with robbers. We passed through Marino, 
Piperno, Terracina, and many other places which lay in 
our route. When within twelve or fifteen miles of Naples, 
I saw for the first time the smoky top of burning Vesuvius, 
which so frequently belches forth its volumes of lava and 
melted rocks, striking terror into the country around, and 
keeping the inhabitants in continual dread. I had long de- 
sired to see Vesuvius. The whole route from Capua pre- 
sents one of the richest scenes in Europe, and nothing can 
be finer than the road thence to Naples. The laurel, the 
myrtle, and a thousand other odoriferous plants, as well as 
fruit trees of every kind, green and in blossom, in the 
middle of winter, attract the notice of the traveller at every 
step. Here also are many small trees supporting grape- 
vines running from tree to tree, and yielding the most de- 
licious fruit in the proper season. 

Naples is one of the most agreeable places in Italy ; the 
climate is mild, the situation is admirable, and the environs 



46 NAPLES STREETS SHOPS. ^ 

beautiful and highly interesting. In respect to population, it 
used to be reckoned the third city in Europe, the number of 
inhabitants being about four hundred and twenty thousand ; 
for though not one-third of the size of London, yet many of 
the streets are more crowded than Cheapside or the Strand, 
and, besides, a great proportion of the poor, including the 
Lazzaroni, were obliged to spend the night in them, for want 
of habitations. In the heart of the city the streets are 
narrow and the houses gloomy ; in the suburbs the buildings 
are lofty, the roads wide. 
yl Naples has been said to resemble one large house with a 
vast number of inhabitants, and the simile is a very just one; 
for, sleeping excepted, every thing passes in the streets that 
is done within doors in other countries. All artisans and 
mechanics not only have open stalls, but they carry out 
their tables and implements for their trades, and work in the 
open streets, producing the most curious medley of sounds 
and sights that can be conceived. The noise of the popu- 
lace is without example; and this is assisted by all the 
powers of gesticulation and a continued motion. Fish, fruit, 
pulse, and melons in slices, are continually presented for 
sale. Here are also the water and lemonade-sellers at their 
stands, inviting purchasers every moment ; the beggars too, 
whom it is impossible to get rid of, harass you every in- 
stant ; begging monks, " black, white, and gray," carrying 
their booty to their convents in bags ; others leading loaded 
asses in ropes, make up a part of the scene ; capuchins and 
recoUets, with their robes tucked up, scarcely move their 
legs under them, but suffer the vulgar, who are ready 
enough, to kiss their hands with the greatest devotion; 
priests, in sable, with their spectacles on, snuffing up the 
fresh air. Many female religious are also to be seen ; some 
who have fulfilled their vows, and others who content them- 
selves with bare promises ; numbers of others are in black, 
with their heads neatly dressed, and their feet without shoes ; 
boys crowding around the sellers of maccaroni to beg a 
spoonful now and then ; squalling infants, jugglers, players 
on the hautboy and bag-pipes, with dancing puppets ; walk- 
ing musicians who exhibit their wretched playing and sing- 
ing before the images of the Madonnas in the street ; soldiers 
on foot, officers in their open carriages ; lawyers arm-in-arm 
walking to the Yicaria ; the processions; funerals; oxen 
drawing dung-carts, the contents to be sold to gardeners, or 
to those who sell them again. 

The shops open at daybreak and shut late at night ; or, 



MOLE CHURCHES. 



47 



rather, every one fixes his shop in the street before his door, 
without taking any thought about obstructing the passenger. 
In some parts you will see the shoemakers, smiths, coach- 
makers, &c., collected together, a few shops only, which sell 
provisions, being suffered to intermix with them. 

The crowd of London is uniform and intelligible ; it is a 
double line in quick motion; it is the crowd of business. 
The crowd of Naples consists in a general tide, rolling up 
and down, and in the middle of this tide, a hundred eddies of 
men. Here you are swept on by the current, there you are 
wheeled round by the vortex. A diversity of trades dispute 
with you the streets. You are stopped by a carpenter's 
bench^ you are lost among shoemakers' stools, you dash 
among the pots of a maccaroni stall, and you escape behind 
a lazarone's night-basket. . In this region of caricature, 
every bargain sounds like a battle; the popular exhibitions 
are full of the grotesque; some of their church processions 
would frighten a war-horse. 

The Mole seems on holidays an epitome of the town, and 
exhibits most of its humours. Here stands a Methodistical 
friar, preaching to one row of lazzaroni ; there, Punch, the 
representative, of the nation, holds forth to a crowd; yonder, 
another orator recounts the miracles which he has performed 
with a sacred wax-work, on which he rubs his agnuses, and 
sells them, thus impregnated with grace, for a grario^ apiece; 
beyond him are quacks, in hussar uniforms, exalting their 
drugs and brandishing their sabres, as if not content with 
one^mode of killing. The next professore (a title given to 
every exhibition), is a dog of knowledge, great in his own 
-little' circle of admirers. Opposite to him, stand two jocund 
old men, in the centre of an oval group, singing alternately 
to their crazy guitars. Further on is a motley audience 
seated on planks, and listening to a tragi-comic filosofo, who 
reads, sings, and gesticulates old gothic tales of Orlando and 
his Paladins. Such is a faint picture of life as it is exhibited 
in the streets of Naples. 

The churches of Naples, generally speaking, have not that 
majesty about their exterior which should point them out as 
temples dedicated to the Supreme Being. They are mostly 
in bad situations and inconvenient in their access ; nor has 
the style of their architecture any thing about it indicative of 
the Roman, nothing worthy of imitation. Some exceptions 
exist, but they are few. Some of them being built upon the 
foundations of the ancient temples, some remains of pillars 
and columns are yet to be seen in their interior. Comparing 



4S PALACES THEATRES. 

the extent of ground at Naples and Rome, the churches are 
more numerous in the former than in the latter city. In 
Naples they are encumbered with altars, which cupidity has 
multiplied for the service of masses ; and many of them owe 
their elevation to dreams and other silly prejudices. You 
can scarcely pass a street without finding a church. A 
starched priest or monk, generally standing at the door, in- 
vites you in, when the sexton immediately palms himself 
upon you to tell what is much better done in your printed 
guide-book. Most of them are ornamented with marble and 
alabaster of different colours, which gives their interior a 
sumptuous appearance. The altars are encumbered with 
wooden candlesticks, silvered over and intermingled with 
artificial flowers, wretchedly executed. Many contain mo- 
numents and mausoleums, upon the senseless occupiers of 
which, panegyric is lavished without measure. 

The Royal Palace is a vast edifice, ft has a handsome 
front, decorated with three orders, Doric, Ionic, and Co- 
rinthian, one above another. The entrances are noble, and 
the principal staircase magnificent. At the foot of it are two 
enormous statues in plaster, extended upon a long square of 
peperino, representing the Tagus and the Tiber. Towards 
the south, the palace communicates with the arsenal ; and 
with the 3ea, by a private bridge, solely for the use of the 
court. It likewise communicates with the Castel Nuovo^ by 
a gallery, supported by arcades which traverse the ditch, and 
forms a place of retreat in case of insurrection. Naples 
contains many palaces of the nobility, which I shall not 
attempt to describe. 

The theatres of Naples are very splendid, especially in 
their internal decorations. The Theatre di San Carlo is not 
surpassed in brilliancy and imposing effect by any theatre in 
Europe. You imagine yourself transported into the palace 
of some eastern emperor, the moment you enter within its 
walls. You are dazzled and delighted. The decorations are 
gold and silver, and the boxes of a deep sky blue. The or- 
naments in front of the boxes are in relief; hence their 
magnificence. They consist of gilt torches, grouped toge- 
ther, and intermixed with large Jleiirs de lis. Here and 
there this splendid ornament is divided by bas-reliefs of 
silver. The boxes are very large, and have no curtains. 
A superb chandelier yields a brilliant light, and gives to these 
ornaments of gold and silver a splendour which they would 
not possess were they not in relief. Nothing can be more 
imposing and magnificent than the grand box of the King, 



MUSEUM— NEAPOLITANS. 49 

above the middle door; it is supported by two palm-trees of 
gold, of the size of nature. The drapery consists of sheets 
of metal, of a pale red. Contrasted with the magnificence 
of the royal box, nothing can be more simple and elegant 
than the small incognito boxes, situated on the second row 
opposite the stage. The blue satin, the gold ornaments, and 
the mirrors, are distributed with a taste which was never be- 
fore seen in Italy. The dazzling light of the chandelier 
penetrates into every corner of the theatre, and exhibits the 
most minute details. The ceiling, which is painted on can- 
vass, completely in the style of the French school, is one of 
the largest pictures in existence. 1 have but little taste for 
theatres, but was induced to visit this one night, where I 
had an opportunity of seeing a part of the royal family. I 
went more for the purpose of seeing the splendid decorations 
of the house, and the royal family, than for the sake of the 
performances, in which I took no interest. 

I visited the Museum, which is contained in a vast building, 
every apartment of which I found laid with the most charm- 
ing antique floors, partly mosaic, from Pompeii, and partly 
marble, from Herculaneum. Here were statues, vases, 
busts, altars, tables of marble, and bronze, all in as good a 
state as if they had just come from the hands of the artist. 
Numerous curious articles were here deposited, brought from 
Pompeii and Herculaneum, consisting in part of a great 
variety of household furniture, much of which is made of 
earthenware. Thousands of coins filled the different cases. 
Medallions of marbles were also suspended by short fine 
chains from the ceiling, having bas-reliefs on both sides. 
Most of the pictures in Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Stabia, 
were sawed from the wall ; and a long row of apartments is 
now set out with them. But the most remarkable objects 
are the manu&crijAs. They resemble cudgels reduced to the 
state of a cinder, and in part petrified ; are black and of a 
chestnut brown ; and though preserved in glass cases, dust 
and small particles are still dropping from them. 

Their public libraries, university, schools, academies, hos- 
pitals, &c., are worth a visit ; but 1 will not detain the reader 
with any account of them. 

The Neapolitans in general are not tall, but mostly well 
set and robust ; broad in the chest, but rather short in the 
neck, and rather inclined to corpulence from their childhood. 
The complexion of the females is generally pale or brown; 
fine fresh faces are not to be sought for out of doors. Eating 
and drinking appear to be the most important concerns ; as 

5 



50 SUrERSTITION ROYAL GARDEN. 

you cannot go ten paces without naeeting some arrangements 
for their gratification. Large kettles stand full of macca- 
roni. The mode of consuming this article can only be 
learnt from the Neapolitans ; for as the maccaronies are an 
y ell in length, they are held by the thumb and finger, with the 
neck bent back, and the mouth stretched open, and thus let 
down the throat. Strangers usually cut them in pieces, and 
then eat them with spoons; but this is quite against the na- 
tional. custom. Females here drink their wine unmixed, more 
than in Rome, being habituated to it from their infancy. 

Naples has its carnivals also, when all manner of disguises 
are worn. The spirit of religion is founded more upon the 
pomp of ceremony than upon the precepts of the gospel, and 
fear is a much stronger motive with them than pleasure. 
They are a very superstitious people, as all papists in foreign 
countries generally are; they look to the power of St. 
Januarius to stop the lava of Mount Vesuvius ; if it thunder, 
master and servants all begin to invoke the Lady of Loretlo. 

They have but few gardens of pleasure in Naples. The 
Royal Garden occupies a perfect plain, stretching close along 
the sea-shore in the form of an extended parallelogram, 
about 2,000 yards in length ; and is fenced in by a handsome 
iron railing. A spacious gravelled walk, bordered with 
orange, lemon, and other trees, intermixed, extends, with 
statues, in the centre of the garden, from one extremity to 
the other. A narrower one runs along the parapet wall, 
which overhangs the sea, and commands a fine view of it, 
Vesuvius, &c. Smaller walks, bordered with the most beau- 
tiful flowers and shrubs, branch out in all directions, and are 
agreeably diversified with numerous seats, fountains, and 
statues. Jn the centre of the principal walk is the group of 
Spavenloso, or the famous bull from the Farnesian palace at 
Rome. This group, rising from a pedestal placed in the 
midst of a circular fountain, excites the idea of a lake. This 
garden being a delightful retreat on summer evenings, is the 
general resort of the fashionable world; attended by the 
sellers of eatables of all kinds, with lemonade, music, &c., 
the scene becomes uncommonly animated and interesting; 
and to all these various sounds of life and gaiety, the 
monotonous roar of the ocean, at a short distance, offers a 
kind of bass. 

The bay of Naples is almost circular, and is about thirty 
miles in diameter. Three parts of it are sheltered vi'ith a 
noble circuit of woods and mountains. The lofty promontory 
of Surrentum divides it from the bay of Salernum. Between 



THE BAY VESUVIUS. 51 

the utmost point of this promontory, and the isle of Caprea, 
the sea enters by a strait about three miles wide. This 
island stands as a vast mole, planted there, as if on purpose, 
to break the violence of the waves that run into the bay. It 
lies longways, almost in a parallel line with Naples. The 
excessive height of its rocks, secures a great part of the bay 
from winds and waves. The following beautiful description 
of the bay of Naples, is very correct and appropriate. 

" Withm a long' recess there lies a bay : 
An island shades it from the rolling sea, 
And forms a port secure for ships to ride, 
Broke from the jutting land on either side ; 
In double streams the briny waters glide 
Between two rows of rocks : a sylvan scene 
Appears above, and groves forever green." 

In company with several French gentlemen, I visited the 
celebrated volcano, Mount Vesuvius. We hired two vehicles 
to take us to Resina, distant from Naples about six miles. 
Here we had to leave our carriages, and commence our ascent 
on mules or donkeys, taking guides and assistants along with 
us. And such a scene of disorder and confusion as we here 
witnessed among the drivers and assistants, exceeded the pos- 
sibility of description. As soon as they saw us, the whole 
motley crew rushed forward, and completely surrounded us 
with their mules and donkeys, each driver vociferating at 
the top of his voice, gesticulating in the most barbarous man- 
ner, and at the same time pushing his animal upon us, all 
striving to get employment. We were in danger of being 
trampled to death, or of being kicked by the numerous ani- 
mals crowding around us. We sought safety by jumping 
into the saddles of the nearest at hand, and thus put an end 
to the competition among our assailants. We had intended 
to select the best animals; but we were glad to save our 
limbs and lives by mounting the nearest. One of our com- 
pany was in danger of being severely injured ; he made 
several attempts to mount the nearest 'donkey, when the 
owner of another thrust his animal between him and the one 
he was in the act of mounting, and thus baffled his efforts : 
this occurred several times, rendering the scene, with all its 
dangers, rather a merry one to those of us who had been 
more successful. For my part, 1 beat the drivers off with a 
strong cane which I happened to have in my hand; but had 
to give them some heavy blows before I succeeded in reach- 
ing the saddle. 



52 VESUVIUS. 

One young man, of about eighteen years old, manifested 
much disappointment at not being successful in finding em- 
ployment, — actually shed tears ; and leaving his beast behind, 
followed us on foot, being determined to find employment, in 
some form, as an assistant. In the end, 1 was glad to employ 
him, and considered myself very much benefited by his 
services. 

We proceeded upon our donkeys, with their drivers fol- 
lowing us on foot, up the base of the mountain about two 
miles, by a road winding among vineyards, mulberry and 
other trees, white cottages occasionally appearing among 
them. A bed of lava, about half a mile broad, was then 
crossed. The solid lava underneath was covered by a sur- 
face of large volcanic cinders, which, from their honeycombed 
appearance, may be considered as having composed only the 
froth or foam of the fiery torrent. Soon after crossing this 
bed of lava, the path for a few yards ascended a steep bank 
of volcanic ashes, a gap being cut through it, to render the 
way more easy. Where the bank is cut, fourteen strata of 
ashes may be discerned, thrown out by as many different 
eruptions. For about a mile further, dreary masses of vol- 
canic cinders met the eye in every direction. We now ar- 
rived- at what is called the Hermitage, a neat plain white 
building of two stories, having a parapet wall in front, in a 
small arch of which a bell is suspended. Here all kinds of 
refreshments may be obtained. The view from this place 
was fine. The green summit of Surrentum, with the whole 
circuit of the bay of Naples, formed a most delightful pros- 
pect. 

As we left the Hermitage, the path continued about a mile 
on the top of a ridge, that forms a sort of connexion between 
the base of the cone of Sonama, (which was formerly the 
volcano,) and that of Vesuvius proper, as it may be termed. 
In a valley to the left of the ridge, was the bed of a large 
stream of lava, small verdant patches of a few yards surface, 
which it has surrounded, appearing in the midst like islands. 
Descending from the ridge into a sort of valley, covered with 
blocks of lava, and crossing it for about half a mile, we ar- 
rived at the foot of the ascent to the cove. Here we had to 
leave our donkeys, the ascent being too steep for them, and 
mount on foot. We found the ascent very steep, near three- 
fourths of a mile long, the first part winding, afterwards nearly 
in a straight direction, over huge blocks of volcanic cinders 
formed into a sort of rude steps. 

Here the young man who had followed me for employment 



VESUVIUS. 53 

as an assistant, presented himself, with a long strap over his 
shoulders, and reaching a few feet from his back, directing 
me to take it in my hands. The ascent is so difficult from 
this point, and so excessively fatiguing, that I doubt whether 
I could have succeeded without this assistance. I was glad 
to avail myself of the proffered aid. He was a very stout and 
strong person. He literally pulled me up by his own strength, 
I having little else to do but hold on to the strap and move 
my feet. He moved so rapidly that I had frequently to 
make him halt and let me blow. I paid him well for his ser- 
vices, as was admitted by my companions, and cheerfully 
gave him more than the customary fee but, as usual with 
the Italians generally, he was dissatisfied. 

At the top of this steep ascent, we found an enormous 
block of volcanic cinder, about forty feet high. Under the 
shelter of this block, it is customary to repose at night, when 
it is intended to remain for the purpose of witnessing the 
grandeur of the near explosions in the dark ; or for obtaining 
the fine view from thence, at the rising of the sun, which is 
grand beyond all conception. Leaving this place, a gradual 
rise for about five hundred yards in extent was travelled, 
over blocks of hot volcanic cinders, a vapour rising all 
around, and fire being often perceptible in the interstices of 
the cinders. Several times we thrust sticks into those open- 
ings, and into the ashes around us, which were immediately 
ignited. When we fairly reached the summit, we entered a 
dense cloud of sulphurous smoke, which the wind would at 
times waft away, while at others it was so dense and suffo- 
cating, as almost to strangle us. Our guide told me to place 
my silk handkerchief over my face; from this I found great 
relief. One of our company, who was somewhat in advance, 
and who had not taken this precaution, we found almost 
strangled when we reached him. It was necessary to be 
very cautious in our movements during the prevalence of the 
smoke, lest we should step into some unseen chasm, or ap- 
proach too near the edge of the crater. 

Mount Vesuvius is a round, conical mountain, rising ab- 
ruptly from a rich plain on every side, to the height of nearly 
four thousand feet above the sea, with a deep ravine, or rent, 
nearly through its centre, caused, doubtless, by some power- 
ful volcanic action. On the very pinnacle of the mountain 
is the crater, a deep gulf. Its form is that of a funnel ; is 
very irregular, and to the eye appears to be about half a mile 
in diameter. Its depth it is impossible to ascertain ; it ap- 
pears to be unfathomable. As the smoke occasionally cleared 

5* 



54 VESUVIUS HERCULANEUM — -POMPEII. 

away, a scene was presented infinitely dreadful beyond all 
comparison. I shuddered as I gazed into the yawning and 
fathomless abyss; and involuntarily I drew back, holding 
fast to my guide. Strong, suffocating, sulphurous gases 
were continually rising; and here and there vivid flames 
were breaking out, preceded by dense volumes of smoke. 

We remained around this burning gulf sufficiently long to 
fully gratify our curiosity, when we commenced our descent 
from the cone by a path different from the one by which we 
ascended, and running parallel with it, at a distance of about 
two hundred yards. Instead of being over blocks of volcanic 
cinders, the surface consisted of fine loose ashes, resembling 
dross, and such as are produced at the forge of a blacksmith. 
The foot often sunk into this substance ; but as it is much 
more easy to return by this path than by the other, it would 
also be more difficult to mount by it. We passed down ra- 
pidly, remounted our donkeys, and returned to Resina, and 
thence to Naples, by the same road over which we had come. 

I visited Herculaneum. The discovery of this ruined city 
originated with a peasant, who was digging a well in 1689, 
about two miles from the sea-shore. He found a mixture of 
vegetable earth and lava, black in appearance, and somewhat 
vitrified. Having dug to the depth of more than seventy feet, 
some inscriptions in Latin were discovered, and several ma- 
chines and utensils "of iron. Some thirty years after, some 
workmen in the service of the Prince of Elboeuf, at Portici, 
in digging, came to the roof of a theatre covered with shells. 
They afterwards discovered a statue of Flercules, and suc- 
cessively another of Cleopatra; and finally, twenty-five feet 
deeper, to their great surprise, a whole town was discovered. 
The theatre, as it at present appears, was discovered in 1750. 
Other objects, from time to time, have been dug out. The 
excavations have been discontinued on account of the heavy 
expense attending the researches, and through apprehension 
of undermining the palace of Portici. With two guides and 
lights, I descended to the bottom of the theatre, and then 
through its several parts. It is a large building, and lies 
deep beneath the surface. Excepting this one object, not 
much is to be seen in Herculaneum of any interest. A con- 
siderable village, called Portici, is built over this buried and 
ruined city, with Mount Vesuvius in the vicinity, towering 
above and threatening its inhabitants with the same melan- 
choly fate. 

I also paid a visit to Pompeii, situated about fifteen miles 
from Naples. T entered a gateway resembling that of a farm- 



POMPEII. 55 

yard, and found myself in an oblong square, of small dimen- 
sions, surrounded by a colonnade of the Doric order, com- 
posed of bricks, with a coating of composition. Behind this 
is a range of small apartments, ten to fifteen feet wide, and 
about fifteen to twenty long, having the appearance of once 
possessing a second story. This place they termed the Roman 
Military Quarters. Here a skeleton in chains had been found. 

Taking a guide, I passed on to examine this wonderful 
city, so recently emerged from subterranean darkness. It 
appears to be all excavated. From its position in regard to 
Vesuvius, a valley intervening, as well as from the light kind 
of ashes by which it was submerged, it was doubtless origi- 
nally overwhelmed and destroyed by a heavy shower of 
cinders, from the crater of Vesuvius, falling directly over its 
site. Herculaneum, on the other hand, was evidently over- 
flowed by a river of melted lava running from the eruptions 
of the volcano, burying all under its ponderous mass of 
scorching fluid. 

The walls of Pompeii are from eighteen to twenty feet 
high, and in breadth about twelve, and are fortified by square 
towers at certain distances, but no great height above the 
wall. The streets are narrow and winding, paved with very 
irregular flat stones. In some places they are much worn by 
wheels, the traces of which are deeply impressed, as if they 
had all rolled in the same tracks. At the corners of the 
streets are high stepping-stones, resembling mile-stones. It 
is difficult to conjecture how wheeled carriages could pass 
these, unless their axles were higher than those now com- 
monly in use. At each side, is a narrow raised passage for 
those on foot, similar to that now in the Corso at Rome. At 
many of the places where two streets join, are wells. The 
houses appear to have been very small, and only of two 
stories. Several buildings, more spacious and elegant than 
the others, having a court surrounded with small apartments, 
are represented as having been palaces. 

Without stopping to define every object which presented 
itself, I will notice only the more prominent and interesting. 
The Amphitheatre is a most noble building, in the highest 
state of preservation ; the interior is completely cleared, so 
that it might even now be used for public exhibitions. This 
building is calculated to contain upwards of twelve thousand 
persons* Near the Amphitheatre are what they call the 
Legionary Quarters, an extensive range of buildings, some 
of them vaulted, and would hold several thousand men. A 
Lyceum is in the same vicinity; its stone pulpit or desk, and 



56 CHARACTER OF THE ITALIANS. 

benches remaining, the steps much worn away, especially at 
one end. The Temple of Venus and Mars has the fresco 
paintings on the walls in tolerable preservation. An oil shop 
is also seen, with the brick counter and earthen jars still 
remaining. A little villa, a small distance from the walls, 
contains several interesting paintings and an elegant portico.^ 
Thin plates of alabaster here serve as a substitute for glass 
windows. Some of the vessels which were used for wine, 
still retain ashes of a reddish colour. A curious family 
monument is to be seen ; a pretty little rotunda, the peristyle 
of which is formed of four small Doric columns, crowned with 
a very elegant attic. The interior contains vacancies calcu- 
lated for preserving the ashes of the dead, and several 
Etruscan vases. At a gate or passage opposite to the one by 
which I entered, I passed out, and there found my chaise and 
driver in wailing. 
)C During all my intercourse with the Italians, I have formed 
but one opinion of their character. Doubtless, exceptions 
exist; but as a nation, they are a faithless people. No reli- 
ance whatever can be placed on their word, and very little on 
their written contracts. I have been so frequently deceived 
by them, that I am thoroughly convinced the impression 
made upon my mind of their perfidy in all transactions 
affecting contracts, is well founded ; and this impression is 
confirmed by the universal testimony of every foreigner with 
whom I have conversed, and whose experience from travel- 
ling among them, rendered his testimony worthy of confi- 
dence. At first I was disposed to believe that such want of 
good faith was confined to the lower classes of society ; but I 
had ultimately every reason to believe that, from the highest 
to the lowest, they are a perfidious people. Unless you are 
willing to be imposed upon by having to pay at least double 
the usual rates of the country for every service rendered, it is 
absolutely necessary to enter into a written contract with 
them for every trivial engagement. And even then, if they 
can find no other method of fleecing you out of two or three 
times the amount called for in the contract, they will endea- 
vour to make you believe that they had made a mistake in 
drawing up the written article. And not unfrequently they 
will watch an opportunity to destroy the document, in order 
to obtain a legal advantage over you. When 1 first saw 
others, and especially Englishmen, entering into such close 
stipulations with them, and drawing up instruments of writing 
duly attested by witnesses, &c., 1 supposed that such a 
course arose altogether from a penurious disposition on the 



LEAVING THE BAY— PASSAGE TO MALTA— STROMBOLI. 57 

part of those foreigners, and I felt rather ashamed of their 
conduct, and concluded at once that they were not respectable 
representatives of their own countrymen. But I soon learned 
from bitter experience, that theirs was the only wise course. 
It must be a poor religion that inculcates no better moral 
principles. I often thought how much it is to be regretted 
that such a fine country and such a delightful climate, should 
be possessed by a people of such loose principles and debased 
morals. ■' 

After going through the usual formalities of my passport, 
I took passage in a French steamer for Malta. But this 
vessel, as usual, lay some distance from the shore. The 
waterman whom I employed, first rowed me to a custom- 
house station on the water, where I had to exhibit my pass- 
port, &c. When I reached the steamer, the water was so 
rough in the bay as to render it very hazardous to life and 
property in a small open boat. But I had no remedy, and 
besides had to pay my boatman double the usual charge on 
account of the rough state of the bay. After various 
attempts, for at least half an hour, I finally succeeded with 
great difficulty in getting safely on board the steamer. We 
were soon under way, and rapidly passed out of this beautiful 
bay, surrounded on every side by so many interesting ob- 
jects. The scenery on every side, the clustering villages 
lining the adjacent shores, with Mount Vesuvius in the rear, 
vomiting up vast volumes of smoke, apparently forming into 
dense clouds over its towering and majestic cone, all con- 
spired to impress the mind with feelings mingled with delight 
and the most reverential awe. 

We pursued our course through the briny waters until we 
came in sight of Stromboli, which is a volcano between Italy 
and Sicily. It was sending up vast volumes of smoke, though 
bearing no comparison to Vesuvius. We passed very near 
and had a good view. It appeared to rise abruptly from the 
sea in the form of a cone, excepting a narrow strip of ground 
around its base, on which we saw some white houses, the 
other parts not being inhabited. We passed through the 
straits of Messina, keeping near the coast of Sicily. Here we 
had a fine view of Mount Etna. From its top, and about half 
way down, it was covered with snow ; thence to its base all 
was green, presenting a singular contrast. The volcano 
seemed to be at rest, as we saw no evidence of any volcanic 
action, not even smoke issuing from its crater. We passed 
near Syracuse, and had a good view of that city, so cele- 
brated for many noted events in history. Coasting the south- 



58 MALTA VALETTA. 

east of Sicily, we entered the great harbour of Malta in safety. 
Then, as usual, I had to pass in a small boat from the steamer 
to the shore. On landing, I soon found myself in an English 
settlement ; I had no trouble with my passport, nor with the 
custom-house. I proceeded to the Victoria Hotel, recom- 
mended as the best, by Mr. Andrews, the American consul, in 
the place, who came as a fellow-passenger in the steamer. 
To this gentleman, with whom I became acquainted in Rom.e, 
I shall ever feel grateful for his marked and polite attentions, 
both in Rome and Malta. 

Malta is distant sixty miles from Cape Passaro, the south- 
ern point of Sicily. Its circumference is sixty miles, its 
length twenty, and its greatest diameter twelve miles. The 
population is upwards of one hundred thousand. The esta- 
blishment of the packets in the Mediterranean has made Malta 
the central point of departure for all travellers to the Levant. 
By means of the English steamers, two communications are 
ensured monthly with Gibraltar, Egypt, Corfu, and Greece. 
The principal port of Malta is one of the finest in the world, 
and has no rival in the Mediterranean. It consists of two 
noble harbours, divided by a long neck of land, on which the 
modern capital of Valetta is built. On entering the Great 
Harbour, the attention of the stranger is attracted by the sur- 
prising strength of the two fortresses which guard its mouth. 
The central position of Malta, and the remarkable strength of 
its fortifications, make it the most desirable station for naval 
power ; and here almost constantly are to be seen many 
vessels of war of the largest class. 

The fortifications of Malta constitute a singular monument 
of wealth and pride. The walls of Valetta are in some parts 
one hundred feel high. The approach to the town from the 
landing, is by a narrow strip of land, protected by draw- 
bridges and massive gates of iron. Fort St. Elmo is built of 
massive granite, and is a place of immense strength ; the 
barracks sunk in its lower bastions contain accommodations 
for two thousand men. The other numerous forts are 
scarcely inferior in strength and durability of construction. 

Valetta is a clean, well built, and handsome town. It is 
noted for the numerous steps by which communication is 
effected from street to street; several flights must be as- 
cended before the principal street of the city is reached, in 
which the palace, guard-house and principal shops are situ- 
ated. The long flight of steps from the Marina to the upper 
town, is well known to all visiters, from the number of beg- 
gars who collect there, and assail the passenger with a sin- 



KNIGHTS OF MALTA — PALACES CATHEDRAL. 59 

gular mixture of different languages, so remarkable at 
Malta. 

The Order of the Knights of Malta was composed of per- 
sons from different European nations, distributed according to 
language. Eight languages constituted the Order, and each 
of these had its separate palace. The city takes its name 
from the Grand Master, La Valetta, one of the most illustrious 
of the Order, who founded it in 1666. During their rule of 
nearly three hundred years, the knights devoted large sums 
of money to the embellishment of the capital. A cathedral 
was erected, a palace for the Grand Master, spacious hospi- 
tals, a public library, and numerous churches were founded; 
and each Grand Master endeavoured to surpass his prede- 
cessor in constructing new fortifications, or in increasing the 
strength of those already built. 

The palace of the Grand Master, now the residence of the 
British Governor, was embellished and enlarged by successive 
Grand Masters. It contains several magnificent halls, and 
an armory. The armory is rich in trophies, in arms of the 
middle ages and of the knights; and contains, besides, a 
modern collection of about ten thousand muskets. Amonof 
the curiosities is the entire suit of the Grand Master Viena- 
court, inlaid with gold. At the northeast angle of the palace 
is the square observatory, founded in 1780, by the Grand 
Master, Emanuel de Rohan, now used as a signal station. 
The view from it is very extensive and fine, commanding the 
towns on each side of the harbour, and a long extent of hori- 
zon seaward ; and, in fine weather, Sicily may be distinctly 
seen. The other palaces belonging to the Order of the 
Knights, situated in different parts of the city, are remarkable 
for their magnificence, and for the extreme beauty of their 
architecture. 

The cathedral, dedicated to St. John, the patron of the 
Order, is not remarkable or attractive in its external construc- 
tion. The interior affords a rich field for the study of the 
art and taste of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The 
floor is a mosaic pavement, chiefly composed of the sepulchral 
monuments of the knights, whose efligies, in full costume, are 
represented in white marble. The space between the columns 
in the aisles is filled up by tapestry, representing the life of 
the Saviour. The vault of the nave is painted with a repre- 
sentation of the history of St. John. The chapel of the Ma- 
donna contains the keys of the gates of Jerusalem, Acre, and 
Rhodes ; the railing in front of it is of solid silver. This 
cathedral was formerly celebrated throughout Europe for the 



60 FLORIANA CITTA VECCIIIA GROTTO OF ST. PAUL. 

riches of its treasury, but it was completely plundered by 
Napoleon. 

Beyond the walls of Valetta is the suburb of Floriana, 
where the botanic garden deserves a visit. The House of 
Industry here is an admirable institution, founded by the late 
Marchioness of Hastings, for the education of poor children 
in various useful trades, chiefly for the purpose of supplying 
the hospitals and prisons with clothing. Upwards of two 
hundred female children are thus employed ; shoemaking, 
spinning, weaving linen and cotton fabrics, are taught ; and 
the cleanliness and good order apparent in every department 
are very pleasing. 

Citta Vecchia, the Medina of the Saracens, is situated in 
the centre of Malta, on one of the highest points of the island. 
It was ruined by the building of Valetta, and its magnificent 
houses and palaces are now almost entirely deserted. Its 
cathedral is said to be built on the site of the house of Publius, 
the Roman governor at the time of St. Paul's shipwreck. It 
is dedicated to the great apostle. It contains a fine specimen 
of Byzantine painting on wood, a full-length figure of St. Paul 
in low relief; the folds of the drapery are embossed with silver 
plates. 

In the suburb called Rabbato is the Grotto of St. Paul, over 
which a^church was erected in the seventeenth century. St. 
Paul is said to have lived in this cave during his three months' 
residence as the guest of Publius. The subterranean chapel 
contains a marble statue of the apostle by GafTa. 

Among the other interesting objects at Citta Vecchia, are 
the catacombs, also in the suburb of Rabbato. They are very 
extensive, and are more spacious than those of Rome or Si- 
cily. These excavations run for a considerable distance 
under ground. The tombs are generally arranged in cham- 
bers, to receive two persons. A very large proportion of 
them are tombs of children. Bones very often occur, but 
few antiquities have been discovered. The passages at one 
extremity of the catacombs terminate in a square chamber, 
containing a round slab like a mill-stone, with a lip or edge 
around its outer margin; it is supposed to have been used for 
washing the bodies. 

The climate of Malta is fine and healthy, and generally 
characterized by dryness, although it is subject to the sirocco, 
and oppressively hot in summer. An English gentleman, an 
invalid in search of health, lodged at the same hotel with my- 
self. Shortly after his arrival, he complained to me of a 
disagreeable sensation which he experienced in his breathing, 



CLIMATE QUARANTINE HISTORY OF MALTA. 61 

and for which he could not account. Eventually he ascer- 
tained that it was caused by the sirocco wind blowing from 
Africa. He had to leave the island, as his lungs were weak, 
and seek another asylum. For my own part, 1 experienced 
not the least inconvenience from the blowinsj of this wind. 

The quarantine establishment at Malta is famous through- 
out Europe as one of the best conducted and most agreeable 
of all similar institutions, in which travellers from the Levant 
must pay the penalty of temporary seclusion. Malta has 
been seven times visited by the plague; and nothing but the 
strict and rigorous enforcement of its quarantine regulations 
could have preserved it from more frequent visitations of that 
awful calamity. To show the strictness of the regulations at 
the quarantine, I will relate the following case. Two Ame- 
rican gentlemen, from Philadelphia, had lately arrived from 
Egypt, and were in quarantine. I visited them, in order to 
ascertain the correctness of reports which had reached Malta, 
respecting the prevalence of the plague in Egypt. On my 
arrival at the proper office, I made known my business. My 
name was sent in to those gentlemen, when they soon made 
their appearance behind a barrier within thirty or forty feet 
of where I stood. Nearer than this we were not allowed to 
approach. Having obtained from them the information de- 
sired, and which they communicated very kindly and 
promptly, I returned to my lodgings in the city. 

As the history of Malta is somewhat interesting, I will here 
introduce an outline, giving the leading points of detail. 
" Scarcely any island in the Mediterranean has had so many 
masters as Malta. We are told by Homer that it was first 
peopled by the Phosnicians. After being successively colo- 
nized by Phcenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians, it became 
permanently attached to the Roman empire in the second 
Punic war. On the fall of that empire, it was seized by the 
Vandals and the Goths, and became part of the eastern em- 
pire under Belisarius. In 870 the inhabitants revolted, and 
surrendered to the Saracens. It passed through several 
changes, until it eventually was granted by Charles V. to the 
order of St. John of Jerusalem. In 1798, it was surrendered 
to Napoleon without striking a blow, although in a condition 
to offer the most effectual resistance. After leaving a strong 
garrison of French troops, and plundering the island of all its 
treasures. Napoleon proceeded to Egypt. The French had 
scarcely been in occupation two months, when the inhabitants 
revolted, compelled the French to shut themselves up in Va- 
letta, and made a voluntary cession of the island to Great 



62 HISTORY OF MALTA BLOCKADE. 

Britain. The destruction of the French fleet at Aboukir ena- 
bled Lord Nelson to commence immediately the memorable . 
siege and blockade of the French garrison in Malta, which I 
lasted for two years, when the French capitulated, and for- 
mally surrendered the island to the British. 

" The blockade of Malta was so remarkable for its dura- 
tion, as well as for the sufferings of the besieged, and the un- 
remitting watchfulness of the blockading squadron, that it has 
scarcely a parallel in history. It commenced in September, 
1798, when, in addition to the ordinary garrison, the harbour 
contained the line-of-battle ship, Guillaume Tell, and the two 
frigates, La Diane and La Justice, the three ships which reached 
the island after the battle of the Nile. After the expiration of 
the first year's blockade, provisions had become so scarce 
that a fowl sold for sixty francs, a pigeon for twelve, a pound 
of sugar for twenty-two, and a pound of coffee for twenty-six 
francs. Towards the end of the second year's siege. Admiral 
Villeneuve determined on making an attempt to send the ships 
to France for assistance ; the Guillaume Tell was sent out 
with all possible precautions, but she was captured by Lord 
Nelson on the same night. Several speronaras were also 
despatched, but were captured. As a last resource, the two 
frigates, Diane and Justice, were despatched ; but on the morn- 
ing following their departure, a line-of-battie ship passed the 
harbour, in sight of the whole garrison, with La Diane in com- 
pany, bearing the British flag. The distress of the garrison 
was extreme; a cartouche of oil sold for twenty-four to twen- 
ty-eight francs ; coffee, forty-eight to fifty francs a pound ; and 
sugar, from forty-three to forty-eight francs. Horses, mules, 
cats, dogs, and even rats had been so long consumed, that, to 
hold out longer was impossible. The garrison accordingly 
capitulated in August, 1799, after a siege of two years and a 
day, during which the French consumed fifty-two thousand 
shot and bombs, and about seven hundred thousand cartrido-es ; 
the provisions, on which they had subsisted during this time, 
would not have lasted more than seven months on full allow- 



CHAPTER IV. 

Passage to Athens — Syra — Greek Costume — Quarantine — Peiraeus— 
Arrival at Athens — Missionary School — Athens — New Palace — Acro- 
polis — Propylea — Temple of Victory — Parthenon — Erectheum — ■ 
Theatre of Herodes Atticus — Gate of the Ag'ora — Areopagus, or Mars' 
Hill — Temple of Theseus — Pnyx — Ancient Practice of Grecian Dames 
— Prisons of Socrates — Temple of Jupiter Olympus — Tower of the 
Winds — Visit to Salamis — King and Queen of Greece — Departure from 
Athens — Strange Regulation — Affecting Story of a Greek Patriot. 

From Malta I proceeded in a French man-of-war steamer 
towards Athens, in Greece. After rather a pleasant run, we 
came in sight of the southern coast of Greece. We sailed 
near the main land for some time, and passed several large 
and handsome bays. We then left the coast, and after sail- 
ing by a great many islands, all destitute of timber, we arrived 
at Syra, an island of Greece. The town of the same name 
is quite a seaport, having many vessels in its harbour, and 
presenting the appearance of having a considerable commerce. 
Here the steamers from Malta to Athens, from Athens to A\ex- 
andrla, and from Constantinople to Trieste, through the Adri- 
atic (or Gulf of Venice) stop and exchange passengers. I 
landed in the town, and visited the shops and places of public 
resort. I was much struck with the Greek costume ; the 
streets were crowded with men wearing red caps, their bodies 
being covered with a thin blue jacket ; others having a kind 
of overcoat, made of coarse woollen cloth, having false sleeves 
hanging down by their sides, and a hood, which during the day 
and in pleasant weather, falls back upon their shoulders, but 
in bad weather and at night this hood is worn over the head : 
they generally sleep in these garments, being the only cover- 
ing they usually possovss. They wear something in the place 
of pantaloons, difficult to describe, but large and loose, and 
more resembling a petticoat tied around the waist, with two 
legs very loose, but secured with strings below the knees. Of 
course, these are the usual garments of the common people. 
The better classes wear an under garment made of white 
linen or muslin, secured around the waist, and reaching to 
the knees, flowing very wide at the bottom in tasteful folds. 
I was told that it takes about twenty yards to make one of 
these garments. The upper or exterior clothing of these 
classes are of the best materials. Their swarthy, dark com- 



64 GREEK COSTUME QUARANTINE PEIRAEUS. 

plexion, with mustaches, in their peculiar mode of dress, gives 
them a very singular appearance to a stranger. The females 
wear no bonnets, but a mantle, with a cape attached, cover- 
ing both head and body, something similar to that worn by 
the Turkish women. During my stay at Syra, I visited 
several schools, which appeared to be well attended, and well 
conducted, in which Greek and Italian are principally taught. 
They are situated on the face of a high hill, from which I had 
a fine view of the town, the harbour, surrounding hills, and 
the sea covered with many islands in the distance. In some 
of the churches I found some good paintings. The streets 
and shops appeared to be thronged, and every thing had the 
appearance of active business. 

I embarked at Syra on board of a steamer, and was again 
on my way to Athens. We landed at Peiraeus, the seaport 
of Athens, and distant from that city about five miles. Here 
we had to go into quarantine for one day. It appeared that 
some traveller coming from Alexandria, and who was in con- 
sequence subject to a quarantine of ten days, had by some 
means found his way into the city, without performing his 
quarantine. A special quarantine was therefore laid by Athens 
upon all arrivals for the space of ten days, of which nine 
had expired when we arrived at Peiraeus. Even this one 
day's confinement was much against our inclination, it being 
unexpected to us, and we felt great reluctance at being kept 
only one day from Athens, when so near that city of so much 
note, both in ancient and modern history. But we had no 
alternative. 

The Lazaretto is a long building, with many apartments 
for bed-rooms, &c. Some of these were more complete and 
comfortable than others, and having better accommodations 
for sleeping. Those of our passengers who were aware of 
this state of things, made a great rush for the first boats going 
to shore, anticipating the first choice of apartments. Of 
all this I was ignorant, and being among the last to reach the 
shore, with two others, I had to put up with an uncomfortable 
room, without bed, or any other article of furniture. So, 
making the best of our circumstances, we made pillows of 
our travelling-bags, and wrapping ourselves up in our cloaks, 
lay down to spend the night on the cold and naked floor. 

The Peiraeus is more like a great basin than a port; yet, 
from its great depth and security when entered, it would ac- 
commodate a large number of heavy ships. In modern times 
it has been named Porto Draco, or Porto Leone, from the 
colossal lion of marble transported to Venice in 1687, and 



ARRIVAL AT ATHENS MISSIONARY SCHOOL ATHENS. 65 

placed over the arsenal. Close to the pedestal, which still 
remains, are seen the pilasters to which was attached a chain 
to prevent the entrance of hostile ships, whence the three 
ports of the Peiraeus received the name of the Closed Ports. 
On the promontory are seen the remains of the tomb of The- 
mislocles, looking down on the Gulf of Salamis, the scene of 
his glory. 

The next day we were permitted to depart, after paying an 
exorbitant price for our night's accommodation. We all 
protested against this unreasonable charge ; but in vain : we 
had to pay it, or not obtain a clean bill of health. We hired 
carriages and proceeded to Athens, and put up at the Hotel 
de Russia. 

I called, as soon as possible, to pay my respects to my 
countryman, the Rev. Mr. Hill, the American missionary 
stationed at Athens. 1 had no letter of introduction ; yet ex- 
perienced no embarrasment in thus presenting myself: I was 
as cordially received by that gentleman and his lady as if we 
had been acquaintances of long standing. They have under 
their care, an institution, embracing several schools and de- 
partments, in which are about five hundred pupils, and which 
especially merits the attention of every traveller. The per- 
severance, judgment, and benevolence of Mr. and Mrs. Hill, 
have conferred practical benefits on the infancy of Greece, 
forming a pleasing contrast to the total failure of the mis- 
directed efforts of European diplomacy in that country. 
With Mrs. Hill 1 visited these schools, and was much pleased 
with their condition, as well as affected, to see the children 
gather around Mrs. Hill, and fondle upon her with all the 
confidence and aff?ection of children approaching a beloved 
mother. I frequently visited the family during my stay at 
Athens, and felt myself more at home while with them than 
at any place during all my travels ; and feel myself under 
great obligations to them for the many kind attentions which 
I received from them. Mr. Hill is a frank and open-hearted 
man, truly an American gentleman, who does honour to his 
own country, and he is highly esteemed and respected in 
Athens. Mrs. Hill is an amiable and accomplished lady. 
They are doing great good in Greece ; and every American 
may feel proud of these representatives of his country. 

Athens had reached its highest pinnacle of splendour du- 
ring the administration of Pericles, who lived about five hun- 
dred years B. C, and who, by the aid of the riches acquired 
in the Persian conquest, and the still more important assist- 
ance of the celebrated Phidias, and of some of the greatest 

6* 



66 ATHENS NEW PALACE — ACROPOLIS. 

sculptors and architects that ever existed, was enabled to carry 
his grand designs into execution, and to leave behind him those 
noble monuments, which have been the admiration of all suc- 
ceeding ages. Although these remains have suffered much 
from the ravages of war and earthquakes; from two centuries 
of injury and spoliation from the Turks, still do they con- 
tinue to be the grandest, the most interesting ruins, and some 
of them in the best state of preservation of any that now 
exist, bearing testimony to the superiority of Athens, in taste 
and genius, over every other city of ancient or modern times. 

The seat of government was transferred to Athens from 
Nauplia in 1834, and King Otho made his public entry on 
the first of December of that year. Since that period, the 
ruined walls, of four miles in circumference, which surround- 
ed the town in the time of the Turks, have been pulled down, 
in order to extend the new Hellenic capital. Yet parts of the 
old walls are visible in a few places. The population of Athens, 
previous to the war, amounted to ten or fifteen thousand ; it is 
now twenty thousand. 

The new Palace is situated on a small eminence, one-fourth 
of a mile from the town. It is about three hundred feet in 
length, and the depth two hundred and eighty feet. It is of 
white granite, resembling marble. Mercury Street, which 
runs through the town, leads to the centre of the Palace. 

The Acropolis is the first object which attracts the attention 
of the traveller. It is necessary to obtain permission, in order 
to ascend the celebrated Cecropian rock. This is to be pro- 
cured at the office of the Nomarch of the city, to remain in 
force a certain number of days, for the sum of two drachmas. 
Mr. Hill kindly attended to this matter for me. It is neces- 
sary, also, to obtain permission to make sketches in Athens. 
The money thus collected, is destined to form a fund for 
carrying on excavations in the Acropolis, and for the forma- 
tion there of a museum of all the objects of antiquity that 
have been, or may be, collected in Greece. 

The Acropolis has been a fortress from the earliest ages, 
down to the last days of the war ; but it never was a place of 
strength, and was always deficient in good water. The walls, 
which form a circuit of two thousand five hundred and thirty 
yards, are built on the edge of the perpendicular rock, which 
rises one hundred and fifty feet above the plain. The upper 
part of the walls are the works of the Venetians and Turks. 
Their foundations are of extreme antiquity, and are generally 
attributed to Themistocles ; but it is probable that they date 
from a much more remote period. The area enclosed by 



ACROPOLIS PROPYLEA TEMPLE OF VICTORY. 67 

them, is about fifteen hundred feet in length ; while its greatest 
breadth is only five hundred feet. 

Part of the Acropolis was destroyed by the explosion of a 
magazine during the Venetian siege. On the highest part of 
Lycabeltus, the Venetians, in 1687, placed four mortars and 
six pieces of cannon, when they battered the Acropolis. One 
of the bombs was fatal to the sculpture on the west front of 
the Parthenon, In the year previous, every antiquity, of 
which any trace now exists in the Acropolis, was in a tolera- 
ble state of preservation. This great temple might, at that 
period, be called entire, having been previously a Christian 
church ; it was then a mosque, the most beautiful in the 
world. At present, only twenty-nine of the Doric columns, 
some of which no longer support their entablatures, and part 
of the left wall of the cell, remain standing. Those of the 
north side, the angular ones excepted, have all fallen. The 
portion yet standing cannot fail to fill the mind of the spec- 
tator with astonishment and awe ; and the same reflections 
arise upon the sight even of the enormous masses of marble 
ruins which cover the area of the temple. 

The ascent commences on the northern side, and, after 
winding round to the west, reaches the only entrance. The 
first object near it is the Propylea, the erection of which 
commenced at the most brilliant period of Athenian history. 
The year itself, the archonship of Euthymenes, in which the 
enterprise was undertaken, seems to have been proverbial for 
its sumptuous conceptions. The Propylea were completed in 
five years. They were henceforth always appealed to as the 
proudest ornaments of the city, standing like a splendid fron- 
tispiece of the Athenian citadel. In its present state, it offers 
a front of six marble columns of the Doric order, with frieze, 
entablatures, &c. It is of considerable depth, with a similar 
portico on the other or inner side. On the right hand has 
been built, in the middle ages, a high tower, in the rude style 
of the fortifications of Western Europe. 

The present passage into the Acropolis, is to the right of 
the Propylea, as you ascend, between the Gothic tower and 
a little temple of Victory. The history of this temple is cu- 
rious ; it was mentioned by Pausanias, and seen by Wheler 
and Spohn, as late as 1681, since which period no traveller 
had been able to discern a trace of it. At length, in some 
works carried on by the present government, to clear the ap- 
proaches of the Acropolis to their proper level, a Turkish 
battery, which stood in front of the Propylea,^ was renMwed, 
and in doing so, fragments of pillars and other ornamental 



68 TEMPLE OF VICTORY— PARTHENON. 

architecture were discovered in large quantities ; and after- 
wards, the floor of an ancient temple, which, of course, was 
immediately recognised as that mentioned by Pausanias. 
The new government has had the spirit and good taste to 
cause the fragments to be collected and re-erected, without de- 
viation from the original foundations ; and little appears to be 
wanting to its perfect restoration: indeed, it would almost 
seem that when the battery was made, the building had been 
taken down with some kind of care. The temple itself con- 
sists of two porticoes, each of four fluted Ionic columns, con- 
nected by a cella of solid masonry. The dimensions are 
very small, being not above twenty feet long, and not so 
much in height ; but the proportions are so pleasing, and its 
situation on the little prominent knoll which it covers, so 
striking, that, it is upon the whole a very beautiful object, 
and an admirable introduction to the majesty of the Par- 
thenon. 

Upon turning into the Acropolis, the Parthenon rises in all 
its majesty. The finest edifice on the finest site in the world, 
hallowed by the noblest recollections that can stimulate the 
human heart, leaves no sense or feeling ungratified. The 
site of the Parthenon is the highest point in the city. It is 
also the centre of the Acropolis, as the Acropolis was of 
Athens. Looking northward from it, the city, and beyond it 
the plain of Athens, formed into a great peniusula by moun- 
tains, lay before the view of the ancient Athenians. 

The Parthenon was built during the administration of Peri- 
cles, of white marble, from Mount Pentelicum. It consisted 
of a cell, surrounded by a peristyle of eight Doric columns in 
the fronts, and seventeen in the sides. These columns were 
six feet two inches in diameter at the base, and thirty-four 
feet in height, standing on a pavement to which was an ascent 
of three steps. The height of the temple above the platform, 
sixty-five feet. Within the peristyle, at both ends, was a 
range of six columns, five and a half feet in diameter, form- 
ing a vestibule to the door of the cell ; from the peristyle into 
these vestibules was an ascent of two steps. The cell was 
sixty-two and a half feet broad, and divided into two unequal 
chambers, the western of which was nearly forty-four feet 
long, and the eastern nearly ninety-nine feet long. The ceil- 
ing of the former was supported by four columns, and that of 
the latter by sixteen columns. The whole dimensions of the 
edifice were two hundred and twenty-eight feet long and one 
hundred" broad. The frieze on the exterior of the cell and its 
two vestibules represented the procession to the Parthenon, on 



PARTHENON ERECTHEUM AREOPAGUS. 69 

the grand quinquennial festival of the Panathensea. The only 
part of the work now attached to the temple is that above the 
western vestibule. A great part of it is in the British Museum. 
The Parthenon was beautified and repaired by the Emperor 
Adrian, from whose days it continued almost entire until 
1687, when the roof was destroyed by a bomb, fired from the 
Venetian army, which fell upon a part which had been con- 
verted into a powder magazine. The columns suffered much 
damage in the late war. The fluting has been knocked off in 
various places. The Turks, when their store of iron balls 
was exhausted, formed balls of the marble of the temple, and 
had been long previously in the practice of pounding it into 
mortar. 

The title of Parthenos was assigned to the Minerva, who 
occupied this temple, in order to designate her invincibility, 
an attribute which this temple emphatically declared. The 
statue of Minerva Parthenos, executed in gold and ivory by 
Phidias, was enshrined in this building. 

The Erectheum was the temple of Minerva Polias. A 
general idea of the building may be formed by conceiving a 
cella about ninety feet long, standing from east to west, inter- 
sected at its west end by an irregular transept ; and at each 
of the extremities thus formed was a portico. The Erectheum 
was a fabric with two chambers; one of these was the temple 
of Pandrosus, and the other was the shrine of Minerva 
Polias. 

On the southwest angle of the Acropolis are some remains 
of the theatre of Herodes Atticus, called the Odeum of Regilla, 
so named by him in honour of his wife. 

The Gate of the Agora, or new market, is formed by four 
fluted Doric pillars supporting a pediment, near which stands 
Adrian's market tariff, as legible as on the day it was there 
placed. 

The Areopagus, or Mars' Hill, was in the centre of ancient 
Athens. Sixteen steps cut in the rock, at its southeast angle, 
lead up to the hill of the Areopagus from the valley of the 
Agora, which lies between it and the Pnyx. This angle 
seems to be the point of the hill on which the council of the 
Areopagus sat. Immediately above the steps, on the level 
of the hill, is a bench of stone excavated in the limestone 
rock, forming three sides of a quadrangle, like a triclinium: 
it faces the south. On its east and west side is a raised block. 
The former may perhaps have been the tribunal ; the latter 
two the rude stones which Pausanias saw here, and which 



70 AREOPAGUS — TEMPLE OF THESEUS PNl'X. 

are described by Euripides as assigned, the one to the ac- 
cuser, the other to the criminal, in the causes which were 
tried in this court. There the Areopagites, distinguished 
alike for their character, rank, and official dignity, sat as 
judges on a rocky hill in the open air, and in the dark, that 
the judges nnight not be influenced by seeing and knowing the 
accuser and the accused. On the Areopagus are the ruins 
of a small church, dedicated to Dionysius the Areopagite, and 
commemorating his conversion here by St. Paul. St. Paul 
stood in the centre of this platform, when he so eloquently 
discoursed to the Athenians, calling their attention to the 
Unknown God, whom they so ignorantly worshipped, and 
whom Paul preached, representing Him in Jesus Christ. 
(Acts xvii.) He was brought, perhaps, up these steps of rock, 
which are the natural access to the summit, from the Agora 
below, in which he had been conversing, to give an account 
of the doctrines which he preached, on the Areopagus Hill ; 
probably so chosen as an open space, where many might 
listen, and also as likely to intimidate the apostle, being the 
tribunal for trying capital offences, especially in matters of 
religion. Here, too, Orestes was tried for matricide, and 
Socrates for theism. It was named Areopagus, from Mars 
having been the first who sat in judgment in it. 

The Temple of Theseus was built thirty years before the 
Parthenon, 465 B. C, a few years after the battle of Salamis, 
by Cimon, son of Miltiades. It stands at the western end of 
the town. It is a peripteral hexastyle, with thirteen columns 
on the side. The cell within is forty feet long, and twenty 
broad. It has a pronaos and a posticum, with two columns 
between the antse. Thirty-four Doric columns, with the 
walls, remain entire, and the whole was built of Pentelic 
marble. The roof of the cell is modern. The temple has 
been converted^ into a church, and was dedicated to St. 
George as a place of religious worship ; but it now forms 
the Museum at Athens, all the I'ragments of marble which 
have been discovered by the present government being there 
deposited. 

The Pnyx, or hill where the meetings of the people were 
held, and where the most important questions of peace and 
war were decided, was not constructed with the magnificence 
of a regular theatre, but with the simplicity of ancient times, 
with a pulpit of stone turned from the sea towards the interior 
country. These remains exist upon a platform on a rocky 
height, to the west of the Areopagus. It is fronted with 



PRISONS OF SOCRATES TEMPLE OF JUPITER OLYMPUS. 71 

blocks of stone of great size. The stone pulpit, called the 
Bema, is an elevation like an altar, whence the orators ha- 
rangued the people. This, with the steps leading to it, and 
the seats beneath it, are all hewn out of the solid rock, and 
are in perfect preservation. Its area is more than twelve 
thousand square yards. 

Near the site of the Temple of Eleusis, (no remains of 
which exist,) is a sloping stone, down which the Grecian 
dames used to slide on their backs, as an antidote against 
sterility. This practice is continued to this day, till the sur- 
face of the stone has become perfectly smooth. 

The Prisons of Socrates are four curious dungeons, cut in 
the rock at the base of a hill, and evidently intended for 
prisons. That in which Socrates is said to have been con- 
fined, and to have drunk the poisoned cup, had its entrance 
from above. A few steps were cut in the rock, whence a 
ladder was let down. 

The Oly mpeium, or Temple of Jupiter Olympus, the largest 
temple of Athens, was the first conceived and the last executed 
of all the monuments of Athens. The temple was begun by 
Pisistratus, 530 B. C, and completed by Hadrian, A.D. 145. 
The building of this temple went along with the course of 
the national existence of Athens. Athens ceased to be inde- 
pendent before the temple of Jupiter was completed. It was 
reserved to a Roman Emperor, Hadrian, to finish the work. 
This gigantic fabric stood, therefore, on its vast site as a 
striking proof of the power of Rome, exerted at a distance 
from Rome, on the Athenian soil. It is hardly possible to 
conceive where and how the enormous masses have disap- 
peared of which this temple was built. Its remains consist 
of sixteen Corinthian columns, six and a half feet in diameter, 
above sixty feet high, on an artificial platform supported by a 
wall, the remains of which show that the entire circuit must 
have been twenty-three hundred feet. The whole length of 
the building was three hundred and fifty-four feet, and the 
breadth one hundred and seventy-one feet. The temple con- 
sisted of a cell surrounded by a peristyle, which had ten 
columns in front and twenty at the sides. The peristyle was 
double at the sides, and quadruple at the posticum and pro- 
naos, therefore the total number of columns was one hundred 
and twenty. 

The Tower of the Winds, or the Water-Clock of Andro- 
nicus Cyrrhestes, stands near the centre of the site of the 
new Agora, with the formation of which it was probably con- 



72 TOWER OF THE WINDS VISIT TO SAL AMIS. 

temporary. It was erected to indicate the quarter from which 
the wind blew, the hour of the day by the sun when the 
weather was clear, and by water when it was cloudy. The 
water-clock within the tower of Andronicus was supplied by 
the stream which rises under the cave of Pan. A part of the 
aqueduct used for conveying it to the horologium is still to be 
seen, built into the walls of a modern house. The form of 
the house is an octagon. Each of the eight sides faces the 
direction of one of the eight winds into which the Athenian 
compass was divided : and both the name and the ideal form 
of that wind is sculptured on the side which faces its direction. 
It thus served to the winds themselves as a marble mirror. 
The names of the winds being ascertained from these inscrip- 
tions, and the winds themselves being there represented, with 
their appropriate attributes, we are thus presented with an 
interesting picture of the influence of each wind on the cli- 
mate of Attica. All the eight figures of the winds are repre- 
sented as winged, and floating through the air in a position 
nearly horizontal. Only two, the two mildest, Libs and 
Notus, have the feet bare ; none have any covering to the 
head. Beginning at the north side, we see the figure of Bo- 
reas, the wind to which that side corresponds, blowing a 
twisted cone, equipped in a thick and sleeved mantle, with 
folds blustering in the air, and high-laced buskins. As we 
move eastward, the wind on the next side of the octagon 
presents us with a plateau containing olives, being the pro- 
ductions to which its influence is favourable. The east wind 
exhibits to our view a profusion of flowers and fruits. The 
next wind, Eurus, with stern and scowling aspect, his right 
arm muffled in his mantle, threatens us with a hurricane. 
The south wind, Notus, is ready to deluge the ground from 
a swelling urceus, which he holds in his bared arms, with a 
torrent of shower. The next wind, driving before him the 
form of a ship, promises a rapid voyage. Zephyrus, floating 
softly along, showers into the air a lap full of flowers ; while 
his inclement neighbour bears a bronze vessel of charcoal in 
his hands, in order to dispel the cold which he himself has 
caused. 

Many other interesting objects which attracted my atten- 
tion, in and around Athens, I purposely pass by without any 
special notice, from want of room to give them a full descrip- 
tion. An excursion of twelve miles, to-Salamis, I must not, 
however, entirely omit. The road was good, probably the 
best m Greece, and had the appearance of being very old. 



DErAKTURE FROM ATHENS STRAINTGE REGULATION. 73 

But my unmerciful charioteer whipped his poor horse the 
whole distance. We passed some two or three ancient tem- 
ples, now in ruins ; also the remains of an ancient aqueduct, 
a considerable portion of which is still standing. At the 
head of the bay is a small village, Eleusis, which we entered. 
I was much delighted with the appearance of the bay ; it is of 
a circular form, with an island near its centre. I ascended 
an eminence near the town, and there had a magnificent view 
of the place, where, it is said, three hundred and eighty Greek 
ships defeated two thousand of Xerxes ! On my return to the 
city, I had a fine view of the plains of Attica,, covered with 
olive trees, and interspersed with numerous conical hills, 
rising abruptly here and there, revolving in my mind the 
many noted events which had there transpired in days of 
old. 

I had an opportunity of seeing the Queen and her retinue, 
one afternoon as she was taking her evening ride. King Otho 
was not with her at the time, he being unwell. She was 
walking before her carriage, accompanied by two or three 
attendants. She appeared to be a handsome and interesting 
woman. As she passed, we took off our hats in token of 
respect, when she very pleasantly smiled, gave us a graceful 
nod, and nimbly passed on her way. 

Being ready to leave Athens, an English gentleman and 
myself went to Peiraeus, to take the steamer for Alexandria in 
Egypt. A strange regulation, requiring all passengers to 
obtain their passage-ticket at least twenty-four hours previous 
to sailing, placed this gentleman in an unpleasant situation. 
He had neglected this regulation. His baggage was on board 
the steamer ; and, although he went to the agent, captain, 
and all concerned, his application availed nothing. They 
told him that they had regulations, and from them they never 
departed. He had to take his baggage on shore, and wait 
for the next steamer, I thought it was a very foolish regula- 
tion. Had it not been for the intimation timely given by my 
worthy and attentive countrymen, Mr. Hill, 1 might have 
been placed in the same predicament. 

On board of this steamer, I found as a fellow-passenger, a 
Greek who had been to Athens to draw a pension, and was 
on his return home to Syra. His history was very interest- 
ing and affecting. He informed me that, in the Greek revo- 
lution, his father, with eighteen sons, were, at different times, 
all in battle, in behalf of their country. His father and sixteen 
of his brothers were all slain in the revolution. His father 

7 



74 AFFECTING STORY. 

fell by his side, in a battle near Peiraeus, and as he fell he 
caught him in his arms, exclaiming, ^'- My son, die for your 
country /" His surviving brother was somewhere in the 
United States, Himself and his mother lived on their pen- 
sion. 

We sailed from Peireus, touched at Syra, remaining only 
for a ^Q\M hours, and then proceeded on our course. We 
passed a number of islands, sailed near Candia, a large 
island and thickly inhabited, and eventually came in sight 
of Egypt. 



CHAPTER V. 

Appearance of Eg-ypt — Landing- at Alexandria — Camels— Arabs — Alex- 
andria — Population — Buildings — Windmills of the Pacha — Bazar — 
Slave-rnarket — Rain — Pompey's Pillar — Cleopatra's Needle — Arab 
Poverty — Catacombs — Mohammed All's Palace — His Talents and 
Success — Arrang-ements for Ascending the Nile, and for Future Travel 
— Greek Servant — Departure from Alexandria — Mamoudich, or Pa- 
cha's Canal — A Skirmish — Arrival at the Nile — A Night's Lodging- 
in an Egyptian Inn — The Nile — Moses and the Pharaohs — Boat of 
the Nile — Occurrences during the Passage — Sight of the Pyramids 
— Soil and Scenery along the Nile — Irrigations — Oppressive Taxation 
— Summary Mode of Recruiting the Army and Navy — Inhabitants. 

As we approached Egypt, it appeared a low, flat country. 
In sight of Alexandria a boat approached us, containing three 
or four Arabs bearing a flag : they brought us a pilot. We 
entered the harbour by a very circuitous passage, and appa- 
rently difficult and dangerous, judging from the many rocks 
we passed emerging from the water. 

The harbour contained at this time some fifty or sixty ves- 
sels of war, belonging to the Pacha, all lying at anchor, pre- 
senting quite a warlike appearance. The English and French 
also had several frigates and other national vessels in the 
harbour. 

Our steamer, as usual, anchored some distance from the 
shore. After our luggage was all landed, it was placed upon 
one camel to be taken to the hotel. This was indeed a novel 
sight. The luggage of our party alone, amounted to at least 
ten or twelve hundred pounds ; yet this heavy load was all 
carried by one animal, suspended at its sides by ropes across 
the back. The camel was made to kneel down, and was se- 
cured in that position from rising by means of a rope around 
its neck and fore legs. The load was then secured to its sides, 
and during the whole process, the animal kept up a continued 
noise, as if sensible that it might be overloaded. When all 
was secured, the camel was made to rise; and it walked off 
with its heavy burden, as lightly and nimbly as though it had 
but a light trunk or two to carry. Providence seems to have 
wisely and kindly given this creature to countries, where no 
other animal could possibly be so serviceable. 



76 ARABS — ^ALEXANDRIA POPULATION. 

The sight of Arabs was also novel to me. About as dark 
as a mulatto — nearly naked — a red cap and turban upon the 
head, which, with the small amount of apparel upon their per- 
sons, were very filthy, and appeared never to be changed 
until worn out — their persons disgusting, for they appear 
never to use a comb to their heads, or water to wash even 
their hands and face — seated or lying upon the ground, and 
basking in the sun, almost continually smoking, and picking 
or scraping the vermin from their skin — the whole scene 
was about as disgusting a sight as I ever witnessed. Many 
of them have sore eyes. And I saw a considerable number 
with but one eye, and that the left. It seems that, rather 
than be dragged off as soldiers for the army, they prefer 
voluntarily putting out the right eye; that, thus being dis- 
abled from taking sight with the musket, they might be left 
at home. But the government put a stop to this practice, by 
having muskets manufactured to suit their left eye. 

I was now in Africa, and in the land of the great Alexan- 
der and of the renowned Ptolemies. Strange associations 
rapidly passed through the mind. 1 could scarcely believe 
the reality of my position. It all seemed a dream. 

We wound our way, mounted on donkeys, through narrow, 
crooked and filthy streets, and surrounded by dense crowds 
of strangely attired and uncouth-looking people, to the Eu- 
ropean hotel. This hotel is situated in the great public square, 
and is surrounded by good and new buildings, recently erect- 
ed by the Pacha, and rented out to the best advantage. It is 
tolerably well kept ; but persons travelling in the Levant must 
not expect to meet with the accommodations to be found in 
England and the United States. 

Alexandria is situated on the Mediterranean, and has a 
double harbour. Its site is a narrow, low, sandy neck of 
land between Lake Mareotis and the sea. It communicates 
with the western arm of the Nile by a canal. This city was 
founded by Alexander the Great, and soon rose to wealth and 
greatness. It was the capital of the Ptolemies, and for science 
and literature was second only to Rome. At one time it con- 
tained a population of six hundred thousand: at present, it 
embraces but about forty thousand souls. After its capture 
by the Saracens, it began to decline, and the discovery of the 
passage to India by the Cape of Good Hope destroyed its com- 
mercial importance. At present, it consists of narrow, crooked 
and dirty streets, some lofty buildings, and many wretched 
hovels ; and is surrounded by a high stone wall. It has con- 
siderable commerce, and its markets are well supplied. 



WINDMILLS OF THE PACIIA. BAZAR SLAVE-MAKKET. 77 

The modern town occupies but a small portion of the site 
of the ancient city, and is surrounded by extensive ruins. 
These ruins are in part covered by immense banks of sand 
and earth, continually accumulating ; among which they are 
constantly making excavations for materials for building and 
other improvements. The houses of the better sort of people 
in the modern town are, many of them, large and lofty, and 
well constructed of brick or stone; but have a gloomy ap- 
pearance from the few windows in a large space of wall, and 
are also destitute of all architectural proportions. The dwell- 
ings of the poor, and which compose by far the larger por- 
tion of the town, are built very rudely of mud, and not above 
six or eight feet high, and not more than ten or twelve feet 
square. The houses of the European settlers are generally 
handsome edifices, many of them large, being quadrangles, 
with handsome courts within; and lofty, being three and four 
stories high. 

The Pacha has had a number of windmills constructed 
along the shore, perhaps as many as two hundred, which are 
circular in their form, of white stone, and make a singular 
appearance, especially to those approaching the city from the 
sea. They seem like a city of windmills. They are used 
for the manufacture of flour for the army and navy. 

I visited the Bazar, and was much amused to see the lazy 
shop-keepers sitting on their divans, with their goods nearly 
all within their reach, waiting upon their customers without 
rising to their feet. Here was a good supply, and indeed a 
profusion of all sorts of merchandise, ready to meet the wants 
of necessity, or to pamper the desires of luxury; excepting 
the articles of salt, sugar and coffee, and groceries generally, 
which are the monopoly of the government. 

My next visit was to the Slave-market. This is a large 
building, with an open court in the middle, and surrounded 
by numerous apartments for the safe-keeping and exposure to 
sale of the various slaves which are brought to the place. 
The slaves consist of male and female, of all ages and com- 
plexions, the most of them as black as negroes, and a large 
portion nearly destitute of clothing. It was a heart-rending 
sight to see so many human beings caged up like wild ani- 
mals, exposed to the continual gaze and examination of pur- 
chasers, many of them emaciated and of a drooping melan- 
choly countenance, the very picture of wretchedness and de- 
spair. Yet among the young and thoughtless of these groups 
of slaves, were some manifestations of animation and hilarity. 
My feelings would not permit me to tarry long amidst such 



78 RAIN — pobipey's pillar. 

revolting scenes, and I hurried away to contemplate some of 
the ruins and fallen greatness of this once proud and elevated 
city. 

In one of my excursions I was caught in a considerable 
shower of rain, which was rather an unexpected occurrence; 
for I had come to Alexandria under the impression that it 
never rained in Egypt; but a good welting convinced me 
that an umbrella is a desirable article even in Alexandria. 

Pompey's Pillar was an attractive object, and thither I 
next bent my course. It stands on a gentle elevation, about 
half a mile from the modern town, and near the centre of the 
ancient city. 1 had to pass along rows of the huts of the 
Arabs, surrounded by filth, wretchedness and poverty. This 
noble monument consists of a shaft of red granite, a single 
piece, about seventy-five feet in length. The pedestal is about 
twelve feet high ; the capital about ten feet ; the whole monu- 
ment being thus nearly one hundred feet in height. The 
pedestal is about fifteen feet square; the capital about ten 
feet in diameter. As this monument was reared in honour 
of the Emperor Diocletian, it should be called after his name. 
How this vast block of granite was brought from the quarry, 
and elevated on its pedestal, is a question naturally asked by 
the inquisitive mind of the traveller. Various conjectures 
have been made on these points, but no satisfactory solution 
has ever been given. It is probable, that the ancients pos- 
sessed machinery for such purposes, the knowledge of which 
has been lost. The surface of this beautiful monument is 
much defaced, especially near the top, by a number of names 
daubed on with paints of all colours, the work of silly ambi- 
tion among travellers aspiring to immortalize their visits. A 
ladder of ropes was constructed by means of a cord thrown 
over the top from a flying kite ; thus the top was reached by 
numerous visiters, until the government wisely interfered, 
and put a stop to all further attempts to deface and injure 
the appearance of this splendid monument. From the base, 
one may look over a barren waste of land, extending from 
the shores of the Mediterranean to the lake of Mareotis, the 
boundaries of ancient Alexandria, where once stood lofty 
dwellings, magnificent palaces, and towering monuments ; 
but where now banks of sand and earth, interspersed with 
fragments of broken columns, and dilapidated walls, meet the 
eye in every direction. Walking over 'this dreary waste, I 
saw, here and there, groups of swarthy Arabs making exca- 
vations, and upon examination, I found they were toiling to 
disentomb ancient buildings, in whole or in part, in as good 



CLEOPATRA S NEEDLE ARAB TOVERT^. 79 

preservation apparently as when first deserted by their 
former inmates. 

Cleopatra's Needle is situated within the walls of the city. 
It is a beautiful obelisk, about sixty feet high, and, at the sur- 
face of the earth, about eight feet square ; its base has not 
been ascertained, but is supposed to be some depth below the 
surface. Its sides are covered over with numerous Egyptian 
hieroglyphics, the mysteries of which, the wisest and most 
learned have not been able to unravel. The sculpture 
suffered but little by the ravages of time, excepting on the 
side exposed to the sirocco. A short time previous to my 
visit to this monument, a number of hands were employed in 
making excavations to find its base, in the expectation of 
obtaining some hidden treasure ; but the enterprise was 
abandoned, and the sand has nearly filled up the excavations. 
This monument has been presented by the Pacha to the King 
of the French ; but it is doubtful whether an attempt will be 
made to remove such a mass, requiring Herculean powers to 
carry any such attempt into execution ; yet, the success 
which attended the removal and erection of the obelisk at 
present adorning the Place de Concorde at Paris, may em- 
bolden the French engineers to make an effort. Close by the 
side of this, lies prostrated a similar monument, apparently of 
the same dimensions, said to belong to England, and which 
was taken down by order of the British government, to be 
transported to England ; but it is said, that the Pacha inter- 
fered and prevented its removal. It lies stretched across a 
deep chasm formed by excavations around it, in all the 
majesty of its fallen greatness. These obelisks stood at the 
entrance of a magnificent temple. Around these splendid 
monuments, the sand has been constantly accumulating for 
ages, and slowly but gradually entombing them, with all the 
other relics of the pride and grandeur once displayed upon 
these extended plains. 

On my way to this spot, I had to pass through streets, or 
rather lanes, of only six or eight feet wide, with rows of Arab 
huts on each side composed of mud, and having the appearance 
of any thing but dwellings for the residence of human beings. 
In these wretched hovels were the miserable inmates, mere 
skeletons of humanity, the very picture of starvation. 
Scattered over the plain were a number of females, more 
than half naked, gathering the scanty herbage here and 
there, with which to sustain their famishing households. I 
was told that this was all the means of sustenance of any 
kind which these poverty-stricken wretches had for subsist- 



80 CATACOMBS MOHAMMED ALl's PALACE. 

ence. Some of them were seated upon the ground, resting 
from their toil, and were the most ghastly spectacles I ever 
beheld in living form. 

The Catacombs are situated about two miles from Alex- 
andria, on the edge of the Libyan Desert, and near the sea- 
shore. These cemeteries are cut out of the rock, nearly- 
level with the sea, and seem to have been of considerable ex- 
tent. The entrance is somewhat difficult, on account of the 
rubbish which obstructs the passage. An extensive gallery 
first presents itself, with passages diverging on both sides. 
At the termination of this gallery, is a circular temple, sur- 
mounted with a well-proportioned dome. Around the sides 
of this temple are deep alcoves, which were evidently in- 
tended as repositories for the sleeping dead. I found so 
much water and mud in my way, as to deter me from any 
further explorations. These excavations may have been 
originally made to procure stone for building in the city, and 
ultimately turned into a cemetery. 

The Palace of Mohammed Ali, the present Pacha, is 
situated on the Ras el Tyn, near the city. It consists rather 
of three palaces, one for his own proper residence, one for 
his harem, and the other for his public entertainments. It is 
a splendid pile of buildings. The antechamber is open to all 
persons, is paved with squares of marble, and furnished with 
a beautiful chandelier and a divan. The Pacha was, at the 
time of my visit, absent from the city, and I had no oppor- 
tunity of obtaining a sight of his highness. 

Mohammed Ali is admitted on all sides to be a man of 
great talents, and to possess decision and energy of character 
in an eminent degree. His origin was humble; and from 
the greatest obscurity of birth and fortune, he has raised 
himself to one of the highest positions on the Levant, and to 
supreme authority in the administration of his own govern- 
ment. Egypt, which was but an inferior province of the 
Turkish Empire, has become, through his instrumentality, a 
strong and independent sovereignty. Such is his elevated 
position at home, and such the influence of his name among 
the European powers, as to insure him respect and obedience 
on the one hand, and on the other, to render him an object 
of dread to all the alliances of crowned heads, and intrigues 
of modern diplomacy. He has applied the energies of his 
master mind to the resuscitation of his capital, and is suc- 
ceeding in raising it from its ruins and degradation, to 
become a monument of his genius, and an emblem of his own 
aspiring greatness. The resources of his country, and the 



ARHANGEMENTS FOR ASCENDING THE NILE. 81 

fruits of the soil, he is turning into the most productive 
channels; and is thus securing to himself and his successor 
the best sources of wealth, and the securest guarantee to future 
prosperity. It is true, his government is despotic, and its 
administration tyrannical in the extreme ; but such are the 
raw materials placed in his hands, that he has to mould them 
according to their pliability, leaving it for time and more 
propitious circumstances to ameliorate the rigour of his 
system. 

At Alexandria I joined a party of English gentlemen, with 
the view of prosecuting my future travels in their company ; 
thus securing the advantages of agreeable society, as well as 
the greater facilities for successfully accomplishing the objects 
of my enterprise. The first thing to be secured was a\good 
servant. A Greek, from the island of Corfu, terming himself a 
regular courier, presented flattering testimonials from travellers 
whom he had formerly served in that capacity, which repre- 
sented him as a good cook and faithful servant, and as being 
capable of speaking the English, French, Italian, Greek, Ara- 
bic, and Turkish languages. Being such an one as we needed, 
we employed him without delay, and at high wages. He 
turned out to be as good as his recommendations represented, 
honesty excepted, for he fleeced us well during the time he was 
in our employ. He had already been twenty-two trips to Pales- 
tine, and knew what would be necessary for the journey better 
than ourselves. Every thing was accordingly entrusted to 
him, and he was sent out to make the necessary purchases, 
being left to his own discretion as to quality and quantity. 
These articles always become, agreeably to custom, the 
perquisites of the courier, at the termination of his services. 
Accordingly, Andrew laid in the most costly and extravagant 
articles, and in the greatest profusion, sufficient for a company 
three or four limes the size of ours. Mattresses of the best 
quality, beautiful quilts, and the finest cambric sheets, all 
essentially necessary for sleeping comfortably on the sandy 
floors of the Arabian desert ! ! Tents, elegant glass lanterns 
to enliven our dreams, and at least a double supply of kitchen 
furniture, provisions, wines and other liquors, besides a vari- 
ety of articles for which we had but little use. All the 
necessary arrangements being completed, our luggage was 
carried upon camels to the Pacha's canal, about two miles 
from Alexandria, whilst we followed on donkeys. 

This canal connects Alexandria with the Nile. It is sixty 
miles in length, ninety feet broad, and about eighteen deep. 
It passes through a perfectly level country, and has no locks 



82 pacha's canal— a skirmish EGYPTIAN INN. 

during its entire length. It is said that one hundred and fifty 
thousand persons were employed in its construction, and that 
it was completed in twelve months from the time of its com- 
mencement. These hands were brought together by the 
despotic will of the government. It is certainly the greatest 
improvement which Mohammed Ali has achieved, and does 
credit to his genius and energy of character ; although such 
a work, in any thoroughly civilized country^ would be viewed 
as an undertaking requiring no great skill or genius to exe- 
cute. Its greatness is confined to Egypt, and to the times in 
which it was effected. Great commercial advantages are 
evidently conferred upon Alexandria by this improvement, as 
a direct trade is thereby opened with Cairo and Upper Egypt, 
Arabia and India. 

Our boat was drawn by three horses, each horse having its 
Arab driver. The horses were changed every eight or ten 
miles. On the way, our drivers had a rencounter with some 
others, whom we met within another boat. The dispute arose 
about passing each other. At first only one individual on 
each side engaged in the contest, but the others running to 
the rescue of their respective friends, the engagement became 
general. Sometimes they were all in one promiscuous heap, 
rolling on the bank, striking, kicking, and pulling each other's 
hair, more like demons than men. Finally, they separated, 
as if by mutual consent, apparently no one the worse for the 
blows which had been inflicted. At night we arrived at the 
mouth of the canal, where is a small Arab village, Atfeh, 
where a number of boats were collected, both in the river 
and in the mouth of the canal. 

Here we put up for the night in a public house, and were 
accommodated with rooms and beds. My chamber was 
rather an open place, and in the morning, when I awoke, it 
was swarming with birds, chirping and singing most delight- 
fully. The novelty of the scene kept me in bed for an hour 
longer than usual, and I lay listening to the sweet melody of 
these charming songsters. Here all nature was in full 
bloom ; wheat and barley shooting into heads, flax in full 
bolls, and beans, in immense quantities, about four feet high, 
and all kinds of vegetation growing most luxuriantly, pre- 
senting a most charming sight from the open places of my 
room. This was in the month of February. Here I thought 
much of my own native land, and imagined the snow there to 
be a foot or two deep, sleighs running in every direction, 
friends enjoying themselves wrapped up in their warm buf- 
falo-robes, the rivers and streams tightly bound in the chains 



THE NILE BOAT OF THE NILE. 83 

of icy winter ; while here I was, enjoying all the delights 
arising from the genial influence of a warm sun, and the rural 
prospects presented on every side, waving crops and blooming 
flowers. What a contrast ! 

I walked out to view the great Nile, and contemplate the 
various objects of interest which might present themselves 
upon the banks of this celebrated river. My anticipations 
were fully realized. This is Egypt's only river. It is here 
more than a mile wide, rolling on through a narrow strip of 
land, fertilizing its borders with its swollen stream, the only 
source of irrigation. It is formed in the country of Sennaar, 
by the junction of two great streams, one of which, called the 
Bahr el Azrek^ or the blue river, rises in Abyssinia, where 
its source is honoured as the head of the Nile; the other, 
being the longest and largest stream, is the true Nile, and is 
called the Bahr el Abiad, or the white river, and rises at a 
place named Donga, among the Mountains of the Moon. The 
whole length of the Nile may be estimated at about nineteen 
hundred miles. 

The contemplation of this mighty river naturally led me 
back to the days of Moses and the Pharaohs, when the meek 
servant of God, "chose rather to suffer affliction with the 
people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a 
season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than 
the treasures in Egypt, having respect to the recompense of 
reward, forsaking Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; 
for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Heb. xi.) 
What mighty achievements did he accomplish over Egypt's 
proud king, by the interposition of an Almighty arm! What 
a triumphant deliverance was wrought to the people of Israel, 
the chosen tribes of King Emanuel ! and what an overwhelm- 
ing destruction to the haughty tyrant of Egypt's elevated 
throne, and his countless hosts, and horses and chariots innu- 
merable 1 

Here we left our canal-boat, and engaged a large river- 
boat, with lateen sails, and manned by six or eight Arabs 
and a rais, or captain. We had tolerably fair winds for the 
first two or three days, except at the bends of the river; then 
came a head wind, and we had in consequence to take to the 
banks and make fast our boat; or the Arabs took a long rope 
on shore and towed the boat. Some of our party, being good 
sportsmen, went on shore, and killed considerable game, such 
as duck, pigeons, &c. These, with chickens and eggs, pur- 
chased by Andrew and his assistant, furnished us with a 
plentiful table. 



84 SIGHT OF THE PYHAMTDS. 

On the fourth day we came in sight of the world's greatest 
wonder, the great pyramids, wiiich appeared to be only some 
fifteen or twenty miles distant, bearing south. Their appear- 
ance was similar to what I had anticipated, and corresponded 
to the accounts given in books of them, and which I had often 
read. 

The country along the Nile, all the way from Alexandria 
to Cairo, is a dead level, of very rich and fertile land, pro- 
ducing vegetation in the greatest luxuriance. In some places 
the banks were as much as twenty or thirty feet high ; but 
generally not more than about eight or ten. At no place was 
gravel or clay to be seen ; but a black rich soil. I had seen, 
in the Western States of my own country, in Ohio, Kentucky, 
Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, the richest bottom lands ; but 
here was a soil far surpassing all I had ever seen in any part 
of the United States. It is said to be very deep, and inex- 
haustible. The scenery along the Nile is really enchanting; 
numerous towns and villages scattered on every side, with 
their mosques and minarets surrounded by tall palm trees ; 
fruits presenting their golden hues as they hang suspended 
from extended branches, inviting the appetite of the passing 
traveller; growing crops in vast extent and most luxuriant 
profusion; all seem combined to render this beautiful country 
a very paradise on earth. Here and there were to be seen 
pretty pigeon-houses, with numerous flocks sailing around in 
the air, or perched upon the tops of the houses and the neigh- 
bouring trees. The inhabitants appear to raise large numbers, 
either for their amusement, or for the use of their families; 
the latter is most probable. All this, however, sadly con- 
trasted with the wretched appearance of the stinted peasantry ; 
and the miserable condition of their mud hovels, as presented 
upon a nearer approach, with an entrance more like the mouth 
of an oven than the door of a dwelling intended for the occu- 
pation of human beings. 

The vast fertility of Egypt is not produced by rain, as every 
one in the least acquainted with the geography of that coun- 
try, is aware, but by the annual overflowing of the Nile. 
The river begins to rise when the sun is vertical in Ethiopia, 
and when the annual rains fall there, from the latter end of 
May to September, and sometimes October. At the height 
of the flood in Lower Egypt, nothing is to be seen in the 
plains, but the tops of forest and fruit -trees, the towns and 
villages being, for that reason, built upon eminences either 
natural or artificial. When the river is at its proper height, 
the inhabitants celebrate a kind of jubilee with great festivity. 



irrigation; OrPRESSIVE TAXATION. 85 

The water is let into the canals, and thus distributed into cuts 
for supplying the fields and gardens, The irrigation is effect- 
ed by machinery. This being done, and the waters beginning 
to retire, such is the fertility of the soil, that the labour of the 
husbandman is next to nothing. He throws his wheat and 
barley into the ground in October and May. In about six 
weeks, nothing can be more charming than the prospect 
which the face of the country presents, in rising corn, vegeta- 
bles, and verdure of every sort. Oranges and lemons per- 
fume the air ; dates, grapes, and figs cheer the eye ; and 
palm-trees, which afford the means of making wine, are 
blooming and abundant. The culture of pulse, melons, 
sugar-cane, and other plants which require moisture, is sup- 
plied by small but regular cuts from cisterns and reservoirs. 

The Egyptians also raise water from the Nile in many 
places by machinery. They sink, near the river, a pit or 
well, into which the water regularly flows. A wheel is ar- 
ranged to work above by the labour of oxen, and is covered 
with a band to which earthen cups or buckets are attached, 
descending into the well, and emptying, by the revolutions of 
the wheel, into a cistern above, whence it flows, by means 
of trenches, to the places where wanted. In some places, 
they raise the water immediately from the bed of the river. 

Egypt, as it is at present cultivated, is an extensive planta- 
tion, the exclusive property of its despot; and the inhabitants 
are not only his subjects, but, in the broadest sense of the 
term, his vassal slaves. Regardless of the natural or acquired 
rights of his people, of the sacred obligations and restraints of 
his own reliojion, and of the sentiments of the civilized world, 
with one bold stroke, he seized upon all the landed posses- 
sions of his subjects, and converted the soil and its produc- 
tions into sources of revenue. To some of the more affluent 
he granted small annuities from the national treasury. His 
receipts from the land tax may, more properly, be consider- 
ed rents, which are collected from the cultivator at the rate 
of about two dollars per acre, annually, which, considering 
the low price of all agricultural productions in that country, 
is an enormous rent. Besides this rent from the land, all its 
productions are heavily taxed. And even the poor labourer 
has to meet a capitation tax, levied upon every male from 
twelve years old and upwards, without distinction. The im- 
plements of irrigation, and the common stock, such as sheep, 
goals, oxen, cows, buffalos, &c., are not exempted from this 
rigorous system of taxation. About twenty millions of dol- 
lars must be raised annuallv to meet the wants of the Pacha's 

8 



86 SUMMARY MODE OF RECRUITING THE ARMY AND NAVY. 

treasury ; and it frequently occurs, that when the full amount 
of tax due from an individual is not paid, owing to a failure 
in the harvest, or from any other cause, the deficiency is ex- 
torted by the collector from the nearest neighbour ; and the 
bastinado is promptly applied to all tardy delinquents. The 
most vigilant officers are appointed to carry this system into 
full operation ; and death is the portion of every defaulter. 
After the collection of all these onerous rents and oppressive 
taxes, a very scanty maintainance is all that remains for the 
labourer and his family. It is not surprising, then, that this 
oppressed people should often conceal some portions of their 
crops, and dread the approach of every stranger as an extor- 
tioner sent by the government to carry away their scanty 
living. 

But the army of Mohammed Ali must be supplied with 
soldiers, and his navy with marines and sailors. A very 
summary process is adopted to fill their ranks. An officer, 
with sufficient forces at his command, makes his appearance 
in the vicinity, and before the helpless peasants are aware of 
his approach, he pounces upon them in the midst of their 
rural labours, and secures as many as the Pacha needs. An 
iron collar is placed upon their necks, and they are chained 
together jn rows to be led off from their occupations, their 
families, and all that is dear to parental affection. Thousands 
are thus taken for the Pacha's service, year after year, with- 
out any regard to youth, the interests of agriculture, the 
pressing wants of the family, or any other circumstances. 
They are driven away like slaves to the market. Some of 
the most affecting and heart-rending scenes frequently take 
place, in the violent separation of husband and wife, parents 
and children. This system of oppression leaves but a scanty 
supply of labourers to cultivate the soil, and whole districts 
are, at times, subjected to the greatest devastation, and help- 
less families to the severest privations and sufferings. And 
what little may be barely secured of the suffering crops, is 
liable eventually to be borne away by the collectors of 
revenue, leaving famine and death behind to the despairing 
mothers and their infant offspring. 

Perhaps a few thoughts respecting the inhabitants of Egypt 
maybe expected. They are various and distinct. The most 
numerous are the Fellahs, or Arab cultivators, the descend- 
ants of the ancient conquerors. These are well formed and 
active, though lean. They have fine teeth, and sunken, 
sparkhng eyes. The Copts are generally considered as the 
descendants of the ancient Egyptians, though it is said that 



INHABITANTS. 87 

the ancient sculptures, and the skulls of the mummies, have 
a greater resemblance to the heads and features of the Nu- 
bians than to those of the Copts. The Copts are nearly of 
the same colour with the mulattoes. They have small black 
eyes, high cheek-bones, short, elevated noses, large mouths, 
thick lips, slight beards, and half-woolly hair. Some of the 
females are fair and handsome, and they are generally distin- 
guished for a graceful carriage. The Copts chiefly reside in 
Upper Egypt. Besides these, in Egypt are to be seen Arabs, 
Greeks, Jews, Syrians, Armenians, Turks, AlbanianSj Franks, 
and Ethiopians. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Arrival at Boulak — Entrance into Cairo — Hotels — Locality of Cairo — 
Buildings and Streets^ — Bazars — Slave-market — Lunatic Asylum — 
Citadel— Joseph's Well and Tomb — Mohammed All's Palace — His 
New Mosque — Missionary School — Cemeteries — Visit to the Pyra- 
mids — Catacombs — Cemetery for Birds — Annoyance from the Fellahs 
— Great Pyramid of Cheops — Extensive Prospect from its Summit — 
Agility of an Arab Girl — Unreasonable Demand — Interior of Cheops — 
The Sphynx — Ghizeh — Egyptian Mode of Hatching Chickens — Island 
of Rhoda — Nilometer— Finding of Moses — Mountains of Rubbish — 
Heliopolis — Joseph and Mary in Egypt — Petrified Forest. 

We arrived at Boulak, and landed in good health and 
spirits, being about two miles from Grand Cairo. This town 
may be termed the harbour of Cairo. Leaving our luggage 
to be brought after us by our servants, we mounted donkeys, 
and were soon out of the village, in a full gallop across the 
plains. We passed a number of beautiful gardens, exhibiting 
shrubbery and flowers of almost every hue, and abounding in 
varieties of the richest and most delicious fruits of the climate, 
and were soon under the walls of the city. Entering through 
a gate into the city, we passed through several streets, narrow 
and crowded, and were met and passed by men, women and 
children, camels, dromedaries, mules, donkeys and oxen, in 
a continued stream and in one confused mass. We saw no 
carriages of any kind, excepting a singular sort of vehicle to 
convey stone, dirt and filth out of the city, and drawn by 
oxen. Almost suffocated with dust, we arrived in the open 
court of the great eastern hotel of Hill & Co. Besides this, 
is another in the city, called the French Hotel. So little 
competition existing in the business, the traveller has to put 
up with imposition in these establishments to a most shameful 
extent. The charges are so exorbitant, that for one night's 
lodging, including supper and breakfast for myself, I paid 
about five dollars. Although the accommodations are upon 
a very extensive scale, yet the hotel was so full, that we 
could engage lodgings for only one night. " In the sequel we 
were not sorry, for we easily procured a house at a reasonable 
rent, where, with our own bedding, and Andrew to cook for 
us, we lived as well, and at less than half the expense, of the 



LOCALITr OF CAIRO BUILDINGS AND STREETS. 89 

hotel charges; and besides, we had our time more at our 
command for viewing the city and vicinity. 

Grand Cairo is situated in the natural centre of Egypt. 
This vicinity has always held the metropolis. About five 
miles below was Heliopolis, and about ten miles above Cairo 
is the site of Memphis. The present capital is the natural 
and most direct thoroughfare between the Mediterranean and 
the Red Sea, and completely commands all access to Upper 
Egypt. It is situated on the eastern side of the Nile, upon 
the borders of the desert, ten miles above the Delta, upon the 
alluvial plains of the river, with its eastern portion built in 
part upon the declivity of Mount Mokatam. It was formerly 
surrounded with a wall, a considerable portion of which still 
exists on the east and south, while the remainder is in a dila- 
pidated condition, and lies in the interior of the city, which at 
present extends to the north and west, far beyond its former 
limits. The houses of the higher classes are built of stone 
and brick, with terraces and flat roofs, and some of the win- 
dows are glazed with coloured glass. Every other course of 
stones in the wall of the first story is generally painted red. 
The upper stories usually project a few feet over the street, 
being supported by wooden pillars, forming a covered foot- 
way. The dwellings of the poorer classes are mere mud 
hovels, similar to those in Alexandria. Cairo is said to con- 
tain four hundred mosques, a large number of which are use- 
less, on account of their dilapidated condition. Many of 
these mosques are most beautiful structures, and present to 
the eye of one approaching the city a complete forest of 
minarets, towering far beyond every other elevated object 
in view. The minarets are circular and slender, perfectly 
white, and surmounted with gilded crescents, attracting the 
gaze of the stranger, and presenting a most graceful appear- 
ance. At different elevations they are surrounded by two or 
three light galleries, which are reached from the interior by 
winding stairways, and on which the muezzin stands to pro- 
claim the hour of prayer. The streets of the city are narrow, 
many of them not exceeding six feet, and appear dark and 
gloomy, by the projections of the upper stories of the houses, 
which, in many places, almost meet. The waters of the river 
are received by canals into a great number of artificial ponds, 
in different parts of the city, by which its numerous and beau- 
tiful gardens are irrigated. Cairo has considerable commerce, 
by means of caravans. Its population is about three hundred 
thousand, and is evidently on the increase. 

Our first ramble was to the bazars. This term is to be 

B* 



90 BAZARS — SLAVE-MARKET— LUNATIC ASYLUM. 

considered as applied, not merely to a single shop, nor to a 
row of shops, but to the streets and avenues including the 
shops. These shops are small buildings or rooms, some six 
or seven feet in front, and three or four deep. They are well 
supplied with European goods of all descriptions. In the 
centre sits the shop-keeper, as salesman, cross-legged, and 
usually smoking a pipe, the stem of which is often five or six 
feet long, and the mouth-piece of amber. 

The slave-market is a large old building, enclosing an open 
square, having chambers all around, both above and below. 
It is situated, apparently, about the centre of the city. Here 
we saw about three or four hundred slaves, sitting on mats, 
in groups of fifteen or twenty, each group belonging to a dif- 
ferent proprietor. Many of them were entirely naked, while 
the remainder possessed blankets and mere remnants of cloth- 
ing. Some few of the females were well-dressed in silks, 
with a profusion of trinkets and ornaments. The sick are 
usually placed by themselves, and can be purchased for 
almost any price; while the healthy bring from twenty to 
one hundred dollars a head. I saw in one of the cells two 
men endeavouring to bargain for a woman, whose mouth and 
limbs were examined pretty much in the same manner as we 
Americans examine a horse. 

The Lunatic Asylum presents another scene of hiiman 
wretchedness and misery, more appalling to the feelings of 
humanity than the slave market itself. This is also a large 
quadrangular building, enclosing an open court. Around this 
court are numerous small cells, so low as not to admit of 
standing upright in them, and secured with iron grated doors. 
In these are confined the unfortunate beings, the wretched 
inmates of this asylum. An iron collar is placed around their 
necks, to which a chain is attached, and fastened to a ring 
outside the door of the cell. By the aid of this chain, the 
keeper drags any that may be disorderly or unruly to the 
grated door, where he inflicts the severest flagellation. Many 
of these wretched beings are in a slate of entire nudity, and 
wallow in filth, presenting a most sickening and disgusting 
spectacle. Oh, for the light of civilization and the blessings 
of Christianity to ameliorate the condition of these truly 
unfortunate and suffering remnants of humanity ! 

The Citadel is built upon the ascent of the Mount Mokafam. 
Immediately in the rear the more elevated parts of the 
mountain rise abruptly ; but the Citadel completely commands 
the town. It formerly consisted of two citadels ; but the 
French united them. This fortress is surrounded by a well- 



CITADEL — Joseph's well and tomb — palace. 91 

built wall of hewn stone, which is from fifty to one hundred 
feet high. On the south side is a terrace which commands 
an extensive view of Cairo, Boulak, the Nile, and the adjacent 
country as far as the eye can reach. From this elevated 
position, the site of Memphis may be readily seen, also the 
Pyramids, and the Lybian Mountains. 

Within the Citadel is a remarkable well, termed the Well 
of Joseph. It is excavated through solid rock to the depth of 
two hundred and seventy feet, to the level of the river Nile. 
It is not circular, but oblong ; its longer diameter is said to be 
forty feet. To reach the water, a spiral staircase is con- 
structed around the well, composed of steps cut out in the 
solid rock, which is separated from the well itself by a stone 
wall formed by leaving the solid rock stand two feet thick 
between the well and the steps. In this wall are windows, to 
admit light to the stairs. After descending about one hundred 
and eighty feet from the surface, a large cavern is found hewn 
out of the rocks, in which a buffalo used to be kept employed 
turning a wheel, which raised the water to a reservoir in its 
vicinity. By another wheel worked in a similar manner at 
the top of the well, the water was raised from this reservoir 
to the surface of the rock. The water is brackish ; and we 
saw no appearance of any having been lately drawn. We 
threw some small stones into the well, which were sometime 
reaching the bottom. Near the spot where the buffalo used 
to be stationed ai the lower wheel, is the mouth of a recess, 
of what extent we did not learn, but were assured that it was 
the Tomb of Joseph ! 

Mohammed Ali has a palace to the south of the Citadel. It 
is mostly an old building, but the Pacha has made some 
modern improvements. Some of the rooms are large and 
spacious, the ceilings very lofty, and the floors paved wtth 
large blocks or squares of beautifully polished white marble. 
The most costly materials compose the divans, and the furni- 
ture consists of French mirrors of the largest size, splendid 
chandeliers, and other articles upon an equal scale of elegance 
and grandeur. In the centre of one room, nearly all 
marble, is a fountain constructed upon a large scale, around 
which rudely sculptured figures discharge streams of water 
into a huge basin. 

The Pacha has erected a large and splendid mosque near 
this palace, far surpassing all similar buildings in Cairo. It 
is an extensive quadrangle, with an open court in the interior. 
The material is hewn stone. Galleries, supported by marble 
columns, surround the inner court, among which, as well as 



92 NEW MOSCiUE MISSIONARY SCHOOL— CEMETERIES. 

in the surrounding chambers, the worshippers perform their 
acts of devotion. Its dome is imposing, and its minaret lofty 
and splendid. 

Some American missionaries have been engaged in Cairo, 
endeavouring to impart light and instruction to the Copts, the 
native Christian population. These native Christians are ex- 
ceedingly ignorant of the first principles of Christianity, and 
are almost upon a level with the heathen. A school has 
been established, and many of the youth carefully instructed 
by the pious labours of the establishment. 

Immediately on the outside of the city, next to the desert, 
are large cemeteries, covering an area of ground said to be 
equal to half the extent of Cairo. In these are neither trees, 
shrubs, nor flowers; but an entire absence of every embellish- 
ment from the beauties of nature ; thus rendering the whole 
scene one of gloomy and melancholy aspect. Tombs of more 
than a thousand years' standing here thickly cover the ground. 
Those of the common people are of very simple materials, 
and of humble construction. They are plain structures, suf- 
ficiently large to cover the grave, and about two or three feet 
in height. They are usually of brick or stone, plastered and 
whitewashed. Many are so decayed by the ravages of time, 
as to appear mere shapeless masses, nearly or quite covered 
with sand ; while the greater part are kept in a state of good 
repair and of decent appearance, which exhibits the reverence 
and respect which surviving relatives among this people al- 
most universally manifest for the memories of the dead. In 
some parts of this extensive cemetery, are small enclosures 
with whitewashed walls, and their entrance secured by gates, 
and which, I was told, are burying-places belonging to families. 
Within these enclosures are many monuments of more taste 
and better structure than those of the humbler classes. 

At a still greater distance, in the desert, is the cemetery of 
the Mamelukes, much more splendid in its appearance than 
the former. It contains some very splendid monuments, built 
of white marble, ornamented with don}es and columns, some 
in the form of a temple ; many of which are forty feet 
square. 

In a still more distant part of the desert, is the cemetery of 
the Caliphs. Here by far the best architecture is displayed, 
on which no labour, nor art, nor expense has been spared. 
An extent of a square acre is occupied by some of these 
splendid and costly structures. Some of them are mosques, 
having domes and minarets ; and contain apartments for the 
residence of those who have the care of them, and who attend 



VISIT TO THE PYRAMIDS CATACOMBS. 93 

to regular services in behalf of the memory of the illustrious 
dead. Near this cemetery, Mohammed Ali has erected a spa- 
cious and magnificent family mausoleum, on which he has 
lavished considerable sums, rendering it every thing that pride 
and wealth combined could make it. It is surmounted by seve- 
ral domes, and the interior is divided into two apartments. In 
one lie the remains of a favourite wife, surrounded by those of 
several other members of his family. In one of these cham- 
bers is a place in reserve for his highness; whenever the 
death-blow shall lay him prostrate with the rest of the sleep- 
ing dead. These chambers are carpeted, have rich divans, 
and lamps continually burning. 

Our company determined upon a visit to the Pyramids of 
Ghizeh. Accordingly the necessary arrangements were made 
by our Greek courier, Andrew, who hired as many camels 
for our luggage, and donkeys for ourselves, as were needed. 
Intending to spend at least two days in. the excursion, it was 
necessary to carry with us our tents, bedding, cooking uten- 
sils and provisions. Mounting our donkeys, we rode out of 
the city, making quite a cavalcade with them and our camels; 
and passing a great number of tombs, and over the site of Old 
Cairo, now a sandy desert, we came to the river Nile, at a 
point about eight miles distant from Cairo. Here we crossed 
the river at a ferry, and immediately entered a beautiful and 
rich plain, as level as the surface of unruffled water, in a good 
state of cultivation, wheat and barley just shooting into head ; 
all the way was lined with numerous palm trees. These 
trees all gave indication of the last rise of the river, by the 
mud adhering to their trunks, presenting an interesting sight 
as far as the eye could extend in every direction. We came 
to a village near the borders of this plain and the Lybian 
Desert, and a little below the site of ancient Memphis. Here 
we pitched our tents for the night, notwithstanding we had 
been frequently cautioned never to do so near the borders of 
a town or village, on account of the annoyance to which we 
would be subjected from vermin. We paid dearly for our 
neglecting the friendly caution ; for we were disturbed nearly 
the whole night by swarms of flees. We were much annoyed 
also by a singular noise, which at first we took for a human 
voice, but upon searching for the cause, we found it was made 
by a bird in the palm trees around us. 

In the morning we discovered that we were near some 
ancient catacombs. We saw a vast number of the remains 
of human beings (mummies) scattered over the sand. We 
visited a large cave, access to which was through a kind of 
perpendicular pit. Here we found immense numbers of 



94 CEMETERY FOR BIRDS ANNOYANCE FROM FELLAHS. 

earthen jars, about two feet long and seven or eight inches in 
diameter. We broke several, and found the contents to con- 
sist of ashes, or something similar, surrounding the skeletons 
of birds. We presumed them to have been the objects of the 
ancient Egyptians idolatrous worship. 

After taking a hasty view of the smaller pyramids in our 
vicinity, we set out upon our diminutive donkeys for the great 
pyramid of Cheops. On our way we were met by a swarm 
of swarthy, half-naked Arabs, running from the pyramid with 
all their might, making the most violent gestures, which con- 
siderably alarmed some of our company. As they approach- 
ed us, they seized hold of our bridles, and jabbered away at 
a tremendous rate, which in no way alleviated our fears. We 
were soon given to understand, that they wanted employment 
to aid us about the pyramids, and that the fortunate possessor 
of our bridle-reins considered himself entitled to the prefer- 
ence. We soon settled this sort of competition by driving 
them off with our canes and whips. These starving wretches 
are a great annoyance to travellers. Numbers of them con- 
tinually remain about the pyramids, in the expectation of 
making their living out of the visiters to these monuments of 
antiquity. 

As we approached the larger pyramids, they seemed to be 
very near us, when we were at least a mile distant from them. 
1 had formed some conception of their gigantic appearance, 
from the accounts given by various travellers, but the utmost 
stretch of my imagination could have given me no correct 
idea of their enormous, vast, and bulky aspect to the gazing 
eye of the astonished beholder. Standing at the base of the 
largest, and looking up its towering, mountain side, its lofty 
summit seemed to rise far into the very region of the clouds. 

These pyramids stand on the edge of the desert, near the 
valley of the Nile, and nearly parallel with it, upon a ridge 
of rocks, their base being elevated considerably above the 
alluvial plains of the river. The nearest is about twelve 
miles from Cairo. According to the most accurate measure- 
ment, the base of the largest of these pyramids, termed Cheops, 
covers an area of more than twelve acres. It is built of square 
blocks of limestone, in the form of steps, each tier receding 
about two feet from the outer edge of the one below, until the 
area of the top contracts to about thirty feet square. These 
tiers, or steps, are in some places broken away, but at the 
angles of the square are generally perfect. The whole length 
of the base is about seven hundred and thirty feet square, and 
the height of the structure is about four hundred and seventy 
feet. From the bottom to the top, this pyramid is composed 



GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS. 95 

of more than two hundred tiers or layers of stone. With the 
aid of some Arabs, whom I employed for the purpose, I ex- 
perienced no great difficulty in ascending to the top of this 
immense structure. Some of our company became so ex- 
hausted in the ascent, as to be induced to give up the under- 
taking when about one-third of the way up, and return to the 
base. It was indeed fatiguing, but required time, labour, 
patience and perseverance ; and I felt myself fully compensa- 
ted by the beautiful and delightful prospect, and the extensive 
view which 1 enjoyed from the summit. The rich valley of 
the Nile, with all its luxuriant growth of Nature's fairest pro- 
ductions, in extent as far as vision could reach ; the majestic 
river of Egypt rolling on its mass of waters to the Mediterra- 
nean, covered with numerous boats and vessels deeply laden 
with produce and merchandise; scattered villages, displaying 
their whitened hamlets, their long ranges of tombs, and their 
busy and teeming, though poor and oppressed, population ; 
the vast and gigantic pyramids ranging in a parallel with the 
flowing waters of the Nile, exhibiting the wealth and all-per- 
severing energy of a people of ancient times, and exciting the 
admiration and wonder of the whole civilized world ; the ruins 
of Memphis; the domes, the minarets of Cairo glittering in the 
distance, and almost dazzling the eye of the beholder as they 
reflected the bright rays of the sun of an Egpytian climate 
the dry and burning sands of the desert, and the gloomy 
mountains of Mokatam : the whole scene was rich and grand, 
and beyond the power of the most lively imagination to con- 
ceive, and the ablest pen to describe. In connexion with this 
sublime scene, is the unavoidable tendency of the mind to 
revert back, through thousands of rolling years, and contem- 
plate the character, and genius, and skill of the men of past 
ages; their pride, ambition, wealth, and power, under the in- 
fluence of which they were enabled to plan, and successfully 
execute, such stupendous monuments of fame, outlasting, by 
ages, the memory of their names, and the objects and uses of 
such extensive and laboured productions of human skill. 

During our toilsome ascent, I could not but admire the 
agility of a little Arab girl, about ten years old, who skipped 
up the mountain side of the pyramid with the lightness of a 
deer, carrying a vessel filled with water suspended at her 
side. She easily passed us, and was at the top some time 
before us, ready to ofler for sale the water she had carried 
with her. 

When I looked down from the towering height of my 
elevated position, upon the men and donkeys and various 



96 Ur^REASOXABLE DEMAND INTEKIOK OF CHEOPS. 

other objects at the base of the pyramids, they seemed to have 
dwindled into the most diminutive size. I was left alone upon 
the summit, my companions having commenced their descent 
some time before me; when, to my surprise, the Arabs who 
had assisted mo up, crowded around me, and demanded their 
pay before descending. But I always found it the best policy 
never to pay Arabs until the service was fully rendered for 
which I had employed them ; and, moreover, never to suffer 
myself to be in the least intimidated by their menacing 
attitude and threatening aspect. They are invariably and 
universally the greatest cowards upon the face of the earth ; 
and yet they are continually endeavouring to take some undue 
advantage of the unsuspecting traveller, at almost every step 
of his journey in countries where they inhabit. The only way 
to deal with them in such circumstances, is to use no cere- 
mony, but knock them down with a stick ; they will cringe 
like a dog, keep out of the reach of your cane for the future, 
and become the most fawning, attentive, and obedient in your 
service afterwards; physical power is the only argument 
which these poor degraded beings regard in their superiors. 
We descended the pyramid in safety ; yet when I occasion- 
ally stopped on the way to rest, and looked from the dizzy 
height to the depth below, I felt a momentary misgiving at 
the heaft, notwithstanding I had in Europe frequently been 
on the tops of the highest cathedrals, monuments, and towers. 
Whilst our company were preparing to visit the interior of 
Cheops, an English party came out, having a lady in their 
company who appeared to be much exhausted. They were 
all perspiring profusely, and their dresses were well covered 
with dust. Yet we were not deterred from the undertaking. 
We took guides and lights, and climbed over a pile of 
rubbish on the side of the entrance, which covered the courses 
of stone as high as the sixteenth, where we found an opening 
about three and a half feet square, surmounted by an acute- 
angled arch, formed by two large blocks of stone resting against 
each other. The passage from this was narrow, and so low that 
we had to stoop as we advanced ; it appeared to be lined with 
blocks of polished granite. We descended at an angle I should 
suppose of about twenty-seven degrees, and in a direct line, 
to the distance of about ninety feet. Then we turned suddenly 
to the right, and ascended through an almost perpendicular 
passage for eight or ten feet ; and then -we advanced over a 
gradual ascent of about one hundred feet in length. Here we 
found a shaft or well, which appeared to communicate with 
the depths below. Without attempting to explore this, we 



INTEEIOR OF CIIEOPS THE SPHYNX. 97 

passed on still further fur some distance, when we arrived at 
what is called the Queen's Chamber, which is seventeen feet 
in length, fourteen in breadth, and twelve in height. From 
this we passed on through another long passage, more than 
one hundred feet in length, and at the termination, ascended a 
short sleep place, when we found ourselves in the King's 
Chamber, which is about twenty feet high, and thirty-seven 
long, by seventeen wide. In this chamber we saw a sarco- 
phagus of red granite, about eight feet long, and about three 
wide, and the same in height. It had no cover, and was partly 
embedded in the floor where it rested. It may have been the 
last resting-place of a once powerful monarch ; but we saw no 
evidences of any human remains. The air in the interior was 
oppressively hot and suffocating, and rendered still more so 
by the flaming torches and heated breath of our guides and 
assistants, making, with ourselves, a considerable company. 
We were glad to hasten our retreat to the open air, without 
making any further explorations. 

This immense structure is said to contain six millions of 
cubic feet of stone; to have been twenty years in building; 
and to have employed one hundred thousand men. From 
indications on the exterior of some of the neighbouring pyra- 
mids, it is probable that the exterior of this was formerly 
coated with smooth and finely-polished stones. The four 
corners exactly face the four points of the compass. Who 
was its architect, and for what purpose intended, have long 
since passed from the records of time. It is generally supposed 
that this and all the other pyramids were intended for the 
repose of the ashes of monarchs who had caused them to be 
erected. In their vicinity we saw the remains of many repo- 
sitories of the dead, upon a smaller scale; and we noticed the 
remnants of cloths and other articles which had belonged to 
mummies, scattered around over the sands. 

Near the pyramids, at the distance of some fifty or sixty 
rods from the nearest, and about one hundred feet below their 
base, is the celebrated monument called the Sphynx. The 
body is that of a lion, whilst the head, face, neck and breast 
are those of a man. Its features, although somewhat muti- 
lated, are mild and pleasing. Its length is said to be one 
hundred and thirty feet ; the head, including the neck, twenty- 
seven feet high, and across the breast thirty-three feet. It 
appears to rest upon its belly, with the paws extended in front 
to the distance of fifty feet. It is said to be constructed of one 
solid rock, the whole of which, excepting the head and necK, 
is now buried beneath the sands. It is also said that a mag- 

9 



98 GHIZEII — ^ISLxiND OF IlIIODA. 

nificent temple once stood between the feet. For what object 
it was originally constructed, is now veiled in impenetrable 
obscurity ; though it is probable it had some connexion with 
the idolatrous worship of the ancient Egyptians. 

As usual, our Arab attendants, at our departure, wanted 
and demanded a large compensation for their services, and 
became exceedingly boisterous and importunate. We gave 
them what was considered by all our company a good fee, but 
they were exceedingly clamorous for more. Our Greek servant, 
who knew how to manage them, spoke to them in a loud and im- 
perative tone, and with an authoritative voice, which, with a Cew 
flourishes of his whip, from the reach of which they took good 
care to keep their distance, had the desired effect. We rode 
off, leaving them in the midst of their vociferations, and were 
soon out of the reach of their noise, on our way to Cairo. 

We took a different route from that by which we came, and 
passed by the town of Ghizeh, a considerable village, opposite 
to Old Cairo. Here we had an opportunity of examining the 
Egyptian mode of hatching chickens in heated ovens. We 
attempted to enter one of these huge ovens, but found it so 
close, and the heat so oppressive, that we were glad to make 
a hasty retreat. A large and close passage was first entered, 
alona; which the ovens were arranged on each side for some 
considerable distance. Jn these recesses, or small ovens, the 
eggs are deposited, and sufficient heat applied to hatch them 
as regularly as if under the hen. Immense numbers of 
chickens are hatched in this way. 

The ferry, at which we crossed on our return, passes near 
the upper termination of the island of Rhoda, which is the 
property of Ibrahim Pacha, and which he has laid out in two 
beautiful gardens, one upon the French plan, and the other 
upon the English mode. W^e made application for admission 
to these gardens, but were refused. On this island, in a state 
of ruin, is an ancient Nilometer, which contains a chamber, 
in which is a pillar, graduated to indicate the rise of the river. 
Tradition affirms that it was on the borders of this island the 
daughter of Pharaoh found the infant Moses. (Exodus ii.) 

Around Cairo the stranger is surprised to see large mounds 
of dirt, the scrapings and rubbish of the city, and other filth 
carried out and deposited there, until they have so far accu- 
mulated as to be more like mountains than hills or mounds. 
They have been increasing for ages, and make a sad spectacle 
for the environs of a noble city. The Pacha, however, has 
commenced their removal ; but it will be a work of great 
labour and expense, and will require years for its accom- 
plishment. 



HELIOPOLIS— PETRIFIED FOREST. 99 

About seven miles north from Cairo is the site of ancient 
Heliopolis, the On of the Old Testament. In the midst of a 
garden is a solitary obelisk of red granite. It appears to be 
about seventy feet high and six feet square at the base, and is 
covered with hieroglyphics. It is said to have been erected 
about the time that Joseph entered Egypt. And this is all 
that now remains of the grandeur and magnificence of this 
once flourishing and populous city ! 

Near this place is a garden, abounding with orange and 
lemon trees, which tradition has made sacred, as having been 
the place into which Joseph and Mary retired with the infant 
Jesus, at the time of their flight into Egypt. They exhibit 
here a well, which is said to be a fountain miraculously 
opened for the comfort and convenience of the holy family. 
Also a large and aged sycamore tree is shown, which they 
say miraculously opened to secure the retreat of Mary and 
Jesus, when pursued by their persecutors!! The Moham- 
medans and native Christians exercise the fullest credence in 
the truth of these traditions. The truth or fallacy of these 
traditions, however, will not aflect the declarations of Holy 
Writ. "And when they were departed, behold the angel of 
the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying. Arise, and 
take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and 
be thou there until 1 bring thee word ; for Herod will seek the 
young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the 
young child and his mother by night, and departed into 
Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod ; that it might 
be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, 
saying. Out of Egypt have I called my son." (Matt, ii.) 

I made a visit to the Petrified Forest, which is situated in 
the desert, about eight or nine miles southeast from Cairo. 
It embraces a large extent of surface, some say, of several 
hundred acres. Here are trees of all sizes, lying prostrate, 
and in a state of complete petrifaction. Roots and limbs, as 
well as the trunks of trees, give the clearest evidence that 
here was once a large forest of living timber. The trunks 
mostly lie in broken masses, but, with the roots and limbs, 
are perfect stone. Portions of this stone are carried away 
and used in the construction of walls. Not a shrub is at 
present growing on or near the site of this immense forest. 
I brought several specimens of the stone with me to America. 
I was informed that, some distance farther in the desert, are 
two other petrified forests similar to this, but of much greater 
extent. By what means the change has been effected, in 
forming these petrifactions, none can tell. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Departure from Cairo — Land of Goshen — First Night in the Desert — 
An Adventure — Arab Wedding Procession — A Lake — Quarrel with 
the Guides — Encampment of Turks — Another of Arabs — Salt Lake — 
Gazelle — El Arish — Road of the Patriarchs, &c. — Immense Sand- 
banks — Vicinity of Gaza- — Quarantine — Gaza — Bribing Quarantine 
Officers — Valley of Sharon — Ramlah — Ride to Jerusalem — Mountains 
of Judea — David and Goliath — First Sight of Jerusalem — Deep Emo- 
tions — Reflections — Entrance by the Gate of Bethlehem — Latin Con- 
vent — View from the Roof — General Vievv of Palestine — Judea — 
Samaria — Galilee — Present State of Palestine. 

Prepaeatory to our departure from Cairo for Jerusalem, 
we engaged an Arab servant, Ali by name, as an assistant to 
Andrew, our Greek courier. He was to make himself useful 
in any and every way ; and during bur journey 1 found him 
faithful and obedient, though rather slow, and scarcely ever 
without his pipe in his mouth, smoking away as if life or 
death depended upon his unremitting perseverance. I thought 
more of this man than of Andrew, on account of his honesty; 
but he was not much of a favourite with the rest of our com- 
pany. We had three tents, two for ourselves, (three in a 
tent,) and one for the two servants. A French gentleman 
desired to join our party ; but we had no room for him in our 
tents, and he lodged in the one occupied by Andrew and Ali. 
Thus we had, in all, nine members to our household. We 
hired fourteen camels, and seven drivers, including the sheik, 
to take us as far as Gaza. For each camel we were to pay 
a specified sum. Provisions necessary for the whole journey 
were carefully selected by Andrew. Each of us had a camel 
to ride ; the others were occupied with the luggage, water, 
kitchen furniture, and by our servants. I selected a large 
and tall camel for myself, and was the first to mount; for 
which hasty act I was very near being thrown heels over 
head over the camel's neck. These- animals rise very sud- 
denly after the rider is seated, and always upon their hind 
legs first, for which I was not prepared, and I was tossed out 
of my seat, with difliculty saving myself from going over my 
camel's head. The saddles are rudely constructed, with a 



LAND OF GOSHEN FIRST NIGHT IN THE DESERT. lOl 

kind of post before and behind, to which it is necessary to 
hold when the camel kneels down for the rider to dismount, 
or when it rises after being mounted. The Creator has wisely 
and kindly formed this animal for the country where most 
needed. Its power to carry heavy burdens, and its suscepti- 
bility to endure protracted fatigue; the peculiar constitution 
of its stomach, enabling it to go without drink for so many 
days at a time ; the adaptation of its habits to the climate 
which it inhabits, and its whole physical organization, so en- 
tirely dissimilar to any other animal of burden, all unite to 
render it, in an especial manner, exactly suited to the wants 
of the people surrounding the dreary deserts of the East. 

All things being ready, our caravan started: small as it 
was, it was a novel sight to me, being the first caravan 1 had 
witnessed. We passed on in single file, and in an hour or two 
we reached the borders of the Land of Goshen. Palm trees 
abounded on every side ; and every where fields of growing 
grain met the eye. We seemed to be passing the mere out- 
skirts of this country, once the residence of the Israelites, for 
we were occasionally in the dreary sands of the desert. Goshen 
appeared well adapted to the pasturage of the flocks of Israel ; 
for what we saw of the land was level and appeared to possess 
a good, rich soil. Flere God's chosen people once dwelt; in 
the possession of abundance, and in the enjoyment of peace 
and prosperity. And here too they were oppressed, and 
made to groan under the heavy burdens which Pharaoh im- 
posed upon them, until God wrought deliverance for them by 
Moses and Aaron. And that deliverance was wrought with 
great miraculous power, in signal vengeance upon their foes, 
and in blessings upon themselves. " And the Egyptians were 
urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of 
the land in haste ; for they said, We be all dead men." 
(Exod. xii.) 

At the close of the first day, we encamped near an Arab 
village, the residence of some of our drivers, who embraced 
the opportunity of visiting their families. Here we were 
a day's journey from Cairo ; and beyond that place at the 
distance of twelve miles were the Pyramids ; yet upon looking 
back from our encampment, we could distinctly see the largest 
two appearing like two hay-stacks in the distance. 

The second day's journey was marked by no incidents of 
moment; we continued along the borders of Goshen, occa- 
sionally among the sands of the desert. We were approach- 
ing a village, where our guides told us that many wicked 
people resided, disposed to attack travellers and plunder their 

9* 



102 AN ADVENTURE. 

luggage. They urged us, for better security, to take up 
lodgings in a certain kahn (or public house) in the village, 
and thus be under the protection of the village authorities. 
But when we arrived at the place and examined the premises, 
we concluded to risk any thing in preference to spending a 
night in such a dirty, jfillhy place, as it appeared to be. We 
passed through the village, and about half a mile beyond it, 
we pitched our tents on the sand. In a short time, a well- 
dressed Turk came out and informed us that he was ordered 
by the governor of the village to tell us that some of his 
people were mad desperadoes, whom he could not control ; 
that if we would come into the village he would protect us; 
but that, if we remained outside, we would be exposed to 
danger, and would be liable to be assaulted. We held a 
consultation, when our French friend, and. another of our 
company, who were naturally timid, insisted upon our going 
into the village to lodge, and influenced all the rest in favour 
of their proposition, excepting an Englishman and myself, 
and we protested in the strongest manner against such a 
course, suspecting strongly that the whole affair was a mere 
scheme of the petty governor to fleece us out of some of our 
money as compensation for his protection. Finally, the mes- 
senger was informed, that we had fifteen guns in our company, 
besides a' number of pistols, swords, &c., and that we con- 
sidered ourselves fully prepared and able to defend our lives 
and property in our encampment. Our Greek courier seem- 
ed in no way intimidated, and gave us, as his opinion, that if 
any attempt should be made upon us, it would be merely an 
effort to pilfer something from our luggage, and all we had to 
do was to be on our guard. Andrew and Ali, however, 
kept watch all night ; no one disturbed us, and we all slept 
soundly and comfortably, excepting our two cowardly 
friends, who spent the night sleepless, faithfully watching the 
vigilance of our servants on guard. The truth is, that the 
Arabs are naturally great cowards, and seldom attack any 
but the weak and defenceless. Whenever our guns, and 
especially our percussion locks were examined by them, they 
alv/ays manifested great astonishment at the superiority of our 
arms over their almost useless match-locks. 

During the third and fourth days, we passed along, in our 
route, sometimes on the borders of the rich land of Goshen, 
and at other times among the sands of the Arabian Desert. 

On the fifth day after our departure from Cairo, about noon, 
we saw an Arab wedding procession. The bride was sitting 
with two girls, one on each side of her, upon a kind of plat- 



ARABIAN WEDDING PROCESSION A LAKE. 103 

form fastened on the back of a camel. On another camel 
was a similar fixture, on which several women and children 
were sitting. And before them, on foot, was a man beating 
on a drum, making a dull monotonous noise. Two Arabs, on 
horseback, were brandishing their long spears. A great many 
persons, of both sexes and of all ages, accompanied them on 
foot. Their dress and movements, though novel to us, yet pre- 
sented an interesting sight. They gave us a salute with fire- 
arms, which we returned with our guns and pistols. At about 
2 p. M. we struck out into the main desert of Arabia, and 
during the afternoon we passed over large tracts of sand, 
destitute of all vegetation, presenting a dreary waste and 
gloomy aspect. At night we encamped in the midst of sand. 

During ihe sixth day, the prospect around us was gloomy 
in the extreme, no trees, not a bush, excepting a small, short 
and dry shrub, growing now and then on sandy hillocks, to 
vary the dull solitude which reigned on every side. About 
1 p. M., we passed along the borders of a lake for several 
miles, where some of our party, being sportsmen, killed 
several ducks. Beyond this place, at a short distance, we 
came upon what appeared to be ruins of some kind, we could 
hardly tell what, where our guides and drivers proposed 
stopping to encamp for the night, but being early in the day, 
we refused our consent. A little further on, and they made 
a second effort to induce us to encamp ; this only resulted in 
a quarrel between them and Andrew, who remonstrated with 
them upon such an unnecessary waste of time. They then 
pushed ahead of us with the loaded camels, we not suspect- 
ing their object, and at about forty or fifty rods from the 
place where the last effort was made, they commenced un- 
loading the luggage. Here a spirited contest of words was 
carried on for some time between them and our courier ; but 
we had to submit, and make the best of it, and accordingly 
we encamped under the lee of a sand-bank. With the Arabs, 
ti-me is of no account, they would be just as willing to 
occupy a month as a day on a journey. 

During the seventh day of our journey we passed a number 
of sand-drifts, some of them twenty and others fifty feet high. 
A grove of palm trees of small extent was on our route, and 
now in sight, which we supposed would afibrd a spring or 
well of water, but we found none. About three hours' ride 
from the grove, we came upon the ruins of a village, which 
our guides called Kalicah. Here were groves of palm trees, 
and a well of brackish water, and several mosques in a 
dilapidated state. We pitched our tents for the night, near 



104 ENCAMPMENT OF TUEKS EL ARISH. 

this place, and were soon joined by two other encampments, 
one of Turks and the other of Arabs. These Turks had a 
harem of women in charge, who were covered head and 
body with long white muslin garments, with holes for the 
eyes, giving them the appearance more of ghosts than of 
living beings. While in Cairo, I had often seen females 
similarly attired, but always in black silk. The Turks wore 
red caps, and were well dressed in flowing robes with silk 
sashes, and were good-looking men. The Arabs formed a 
separate encampment, and were, of course, not so showy in 
their appearance as the Turks. It was one of the most 
delightful evenings 1 had ever experienced. The sun set 
unusually clear, and seemed to sink into the very sand. The 
moon rose early, and in splendid majesty lighted up the sur- 
rounding waste. I gazed upon the enchanting scenery of 
the heavens for a while, with deep, heartfelt emotions ; then 
cast my eyes upon the strange and novel scene around me ; 
the Turks and their female charge sitting upon their mats 
in the sand in one group ; in another spot, at some short 
distance, the swarthy Arabs, with the peculiarities of their 
personal appearance ; and in another, our European party, 
presenting a strong contrast in national costume and habits ; 
all dressed in the varied costumes of their respective countries, 
surrounded by their tents, luggage, and camels, and encamped 
in the midst of the dreary desert ; it was a novel and interest- 
ing sight to me, making an impression upon my mind, not 
soon nor easily to be effaced from the memory. 

At the approach of night on the eighth day, we encamped 
near a small lake; the water was saltish, and on the 
margin were considerable deposits of salt. Some of our 
party took their guns, and went in pursuit of a gazelle which 
they had seen on the borders of the lake, but returned unsuc- 
cessful. This is a beautiful animal, resembling, in some 
respects, the American deer, though much smaller, and 
with straight horns. After this we saw many of these beau- 
tiful creatures. During the night we were much annoyed in 
our camp by wind and rain. 

About noon of the ninth day we came in sight of the 
Mediterranean Sea on our left, and at night encamped in a 
situation more favourable from wind than that occupied by 
us during the previous night. 

During the tenth day we passed some palm trees, and 
towards evening came in the vicinity of El Arish, situated 
about two miles distant from the Mediterranean, in the midst 
of a barren, sandy waste. This was the first inhabited town 
we had seen since we left the land of Goshen. How tiiese 



KOAD OF PATRIARCHS, ETC. IMMENSE SAND-BANKS. 105 

people live appeared a mystery to me, surrounded as they 
are on every side, excepting next to the sea, by extensive 
sandy deserts, without the least spot of arable land to cul- 
tivate. They may possibly live on fish, for I could conceive 
of no other possible resources. We encamped here near a 
well of bad water, but bad as it was, it was the first we 
had found that could be used for drinking and cooking on 
this side of Goshen. During part of our route from Egypt 
to this place, where the sand had not drifted, we passed over 
a wide, open road, having the appearance of being much 
frequented. I conjectured whether I had not been passing 
over the same route, in part at least, travelled by Abraham 
and Sarah, Jacob and his descendants ; and especially by 
Joseph and Mary, with the blessed Redeemer. It is doubtless, 
the only direct route between the Holy Land and Egypt. 

On the eleventh day we still travelled over dreary sands. 
Towards evening we came to the base of immense sand- 
hills, bordering the sea. In some places the elevation of 
these hills exceeds one hundred and fifty feet, and extends 
along the eastern shore of the sea to a great distance. The 
sand is of a beautiful red colour. They appeared to me to 
have been formed by the washing of the Mediterranean Sea 
for thousands of years. At their base, and running parallel, 
are extended level, rich plains. In the evening we encamped 
not far from a burying-ground, and near some ruins. I em- 
braced an opportunity in the morning to ascend to the top of 
this accumulated mass of sand, and had a most delightful 
view of the sea and the coast for some forty or fifty miles, 
and in the distance I saw some of the mountains of Judea. 

On the twelfth morning we commenced our journey, in the 
full expectation of entering Gaza in the evening. We tra- 
velled over a rich and beautiful country, but uncultivated, yet 
abounding in grass ; the immense sand-hills on our left, be- 
tween us and the sea. We passed two villages, the houses of 
which were composed of blocks of mud of a black colour, and 
similar to those in Egypt, one story high, but covered with 
green sods. Their gardens were surrounded by a sort of rude 
hedge. Towards evening we were in hourly expectation of 
arriving at Gaza, the ancient capital of the Philistines, and 
we had sent Andrew on ahead, to make arrangements for our 
lodging in the town. It was night when we reached the 
suburbs, where we found our Andrew, in the custody of the 
quarantine officers, near a tent stationed not far from the 
road, a fire being kindled at the door. We soon found that, 
instead of entering the town that night, as we had fondly an- 



106 VICINITY OF GAZA QUARANTINE. 

ticipated, we must perform quarantine five days. Accord- 
ingly we encamped, and made all necessary arrangements for 
performing the full quarantine. The next morning, with a 
guard in attendance, we ascended to the top of a high hill 
east of Gaza, from which we enjoyed a most beautiful and 
extensive prospect. To the north and south, as far as vision 
could reach, was a fine, rich-looking soil, evidently suscepti- 
ble of profitable culture; and to the east, to the distance of 
fifteen or twenty miles, the same kind of land extended entirely 
back to the mountains of Judea ; yet, excepting some shade 
and fruit-trees, no appearance of any kind of timber. Only 
a small portion of this extensive tract of arable land was 
under cultivation. The Mediterranean Sea, at the distance of 
some two or three miles, appeared smooth and placid, the red- 
coloured sand-hills, to the utmost reach of vision, intervening 
between it and the rich plains lying at their base. 

We had likewise a fine view of Gaza ; but, alas I how fallen 
since the days of Samson, when he carried away its massive 
gates, and destroyed its thousands in the fall of the vast 
building, at the base of whose pillars he sacrificed his own 
life ! " And Samson said. Let me die with the Philistines. 
And he bowed himself with all his might, and the house fell 
upon the jords, and upon all the people that were therein. 
So that the dead which he slew at his death were more than 
they which he slew in his life." (Jud. xvi.) 

Gaza, at present, is a town of tolerable size. The houses 
are not compactly built, but somewhat scattered and small, 
their roofs fiat, and covered with earth. The inhabitants ap- 
peared to be a mixture of Turks and Arabs, peaceable and 
inoffensive. 

It was somewhere on the route which we were about to 
travel from Gaza to Jerusalem, but it is impossible to ascer- 
tain the spot with any degree of accuracy, that Philip, by the 
direction of the Lord, came in contact with " a man of Ethi- 
opia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of 
the Ethiopians," whom Philip instructed, and likewise bap- 
tized, after his conversion to the faith of the gospel. (Acts 
viii.) 

On the second morning of our quarantine, we ascertained 
that the officers and guards, like all others in this country, 
and the East generally, could be bribed to shorten our qua- 
rantine. An intimation having been made, we all assembled 
to bargain with these mercenary creatures ; and after a good 
deal of shuffling and screwing to obtain all they could from 
us, we purchased a clean bill of health, by the payment of 



BRIBING QTTA3IANTINE OFFICERS — RA?/rLAri. 107 

two bottles of wine, and one hundred and forty-seven piastres. 
We had first, however, to be all placed under a tent, and be 
fumigated with burning brimstone, during which operation I 
contrived to keep my nose outside of the canvass, through a 
small rent, while some of my companions were nearly stran- 
gled. When we reached Jerusalem, we discovered that this 
quarantine was a mere imposition, to obtain money from us, 
no such quarantine being at the time required. Dismissing 
our guides and their camels, and employing mules, donkeys, 
and drivers, to take us to Ramlah, we were soon on our road, 
and out of the reach of the brimstone and quarantine tricks 
of Gaza. At night we encamped outside of a small village. 

The next day we rode on, passing through the rich and 
beautiful plain, or valley, of Sharon, where blooms " the rose 
of Sharon and the lily of the valley." Several villages, com- 
posed of mud houses, lay in our route, in one of which tradi- 
tion affirms that the penitent thief, who died on the cross, had 
resided. In the evening we arrived at Ramlah, or Arima- 
thea, the native place of Joseph, who begged the body of 
Jesus from Pilate, and laid it in his own new tomb at Jerusa- 
lem. (Matt, xxvii.) We put up at the convent, and were 
kindly received and well treated by the monks. 

In the morning we had to procure another set of mules and 
donkeys, and by eight o'clock we left the convent, on our road 
direct to Jerusalem. I experienced many pleasing anticipa- 
tions, in the thought of lodging that night within the walls of 
the Holy City. The nearer we advanced, the more interesting 
was every little incident, to a mind full of expectation. For 
two or three hours our road (or rather path) lay through the 
beautiful valley of Sharon, with the mountains of Judea di- 
rectly before us. We passed a village, and further on, some 
ancient ruins. We reached the mountains, and entered 
through a deep ravine, in some places so very narrow as to 
render it extremely difficult for two loaded camels to pass 
each other. These mountains are entirely destitute of timber, 
but abound in olive, tig and other fruit-trees, covering their 
sides to the very summit. Noticing the formation of rocks in 
these mountains, as we passed along, they appeared to lie 
embedded in horizontal layers of about two to three feet in 
thickness. We eventually came to a valley, in which, as we 
were told, the armies of Israel and the Philistines were once 
arrayed in fearful and bloody combat, when David slew the 
giant Goliath. The brook, too, was pointed out, from which 
David obtained the stones for his sling, with one of which he 
slew the mighty champion of the uncircumcised Philistines, 



108 DAVID AA'D GOLIATH FTI^ST SIGHT OF JEHrSALTSJI. 

who had so impiously defied the armies of the living God. 
"And David put his hand in his hag, and took thence a 
stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, 
that the stone sunk into his forehead ; and he fell upon his 
face to the earth." (1 Sam. xvii.) The reader will not con- 
sider me as vouching for the correctness of any of these loose 
traditions, for they are to be received with little or no reliance 
upon their accuracy, at this late date. The occurrences here 
referred to certainly did take place somewhere in the Holy 
Land, agreeably to the sacred records ; but it is presumptuous 
to attempt to fix their localities with unerring certainty at a 
period so remote. 

We crossed the brook over a small stone bridge, pursuing 
our course towards Jerusalem. As we advanced, we became 
very desirous of obtaining, from some eminence, the first 
glimpse of the interesting city. Approaching the summit of 
a lofty hill, around which our road wound for some distance, 
I perceived a short steep path leading directly to the summit, 
and, presuming that I could there obtain a sight of the great 
object of our desires, I sprang from my saddle, and mounted 
the steep ascent on foot. One of our company, equally im- 
patient with myself, followed ray example. After toiling to 
the very top, and almost breathless with the extreme labour, 
we were doomed to meet with disappointment. The object of 
our solicitude was not to be seen. We had to descend on the 
other side, and mount another steep ascent ; and again our 
hopes were not realized. No city was yet in sight. After 
descending a gentle declivity for some time, we suddenly, and 
both at the same instant, obtained the first glimpse of the 
western walls of the Holy City, the Tower of David, Mount 
Zion, and some of the houses. Here I felt disposed to cry 
out with the pious psalmist, *' Our feet shall stand within thy 
gates, O Jerusalem !" (Psalm cxxii.) I do not know how to 
account for it, but 1 experienced strong emotions, such as I 
never before felt upon approaching any other city, not the 
greatest and most magnificent of all those which I visited in 
other parts of the world. This arose, I presume, from those 
strong associations which are always connected in the mind 
of every believer in the holy Scriptures, with the actual loca- 
lities of transactions deeply interesting to the whole Christian 
world. When the first transports had subsided in a measure, 
I discovered that the position which Jerusalem occupies in 
regard to the surrounding hills, would necessarily prevent a 
very distant view of the city from the direction in which we 
were approaching its walls. How beautiful, as well as lite- 



ENTRANCE BY THE GATE OP BETHLEHEM. 109 

ral, is the declaration of the Psalmist: " As the mountains 
are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his 
people from henceforth, even for ever." (Psalm cxxv.) 

We waited near the gate of Bethlehem for the arrival of 
our company. Here was a guard of Turkish soldiers, sitting 
cross-legged and smoking their long-stemmed pipes. While 
sitting here, my mind was continually running upon the va- 
rious solemn events which had transpired within those walls, 
and in their vicinity. The presentation of the child Jesus, in 
the holy temple, when good old Simeon " took him up in his 
arms, and blessed God, and said. Lord, now lettest thou thy 
servant depart in peace, according to thy word : for mine eyes 
have seen thy salvation." (Luke ii.) The youthful Saviour 
" in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hear- 
ing them, and asking them questions." (Luke ii.) His sym- 
pathetic exclamation, in view of the hard-heartedness and 
unbelief of the Jews, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that 
killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto 
thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, 
even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and 
ye would not." (Matt, xxiii.) The agony and bloody sweat 
of Gethsemane's dark shades, " My soul is exceedingly 
sorrowful even unto death," and " Oh ! my Father, if it be 
possible, let this cup pass from me." (Matt, xxvi.) The af- 
fecting circumstances at Pilate's bar, an innocent victim of 
malice croivned ivith thorns, spit uiDon^ and his body lacera- 
ted with cruel scourging, and the cry of the embittered multi- 
tude, " Not this man, but Barabbas." (John xviii.) And that 
fearful imprecation, " His blood be on us, and on our chil- 
dren." (Matt, xxvii.) And " Crucify him, crucify him." 
(John xix.) The bloody scenes of Calvary, the sun's dark- 
ness at mid-day, the rending of the rocks, and the bursting of 
the tombs, the impassioned cry of the suffering Saviour," My 
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me 1" (Matt, xxvii.) 
And that triumphant completion of man's redemption, " It is 
finished ; and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." 
(John xix.) Musing upon these subjects, I could not but feel 
deeply impressed with their solemnity. 

Our company arrived, and we entered the gate with our 
train, no questions being asked ; we turned to the left, and, 
after several turns more through narrow streets, either rough- 
ly paved or not paved at all, we rode to the Latin Convent, 
where Christians from all parts visiting Jerusalem genei^lly 
lodge. Andrew had preceded us, to make provision for our 
reception and accommodation ; he was well acquainted with 

10 



110 LATIN CONVENT VIEW FHOM THE ROOF* 

its inmates, having been there no less than twenty-two times 
with travellers, before us. Although the convent was throng- 
ed, he had secured rooms for our company. This vi^as in the 
afternoon of March 8th, 1842. 

We hastened to the roof of the convent, to obtain a general 
view of the city. The roof was covered with hewn stone, 
was nearly flat, and from it we had, indeed, a fine view. 
The principal part of the city, embracing the domes of the 
Holy Sepulchre, mosque of Omer, upon the site of Solomon's 
temple, the tower of David, Mount Zion, the Mount of Olives, 
the valley of Jehoshaphat, and all the other objects of interest 
were within the scope of our vision. This bird's-eye view 
only increased our desire for a more minute examination of 
every thing pertaining to the Holy City. 

Before entering upon any minute examination of Jerusalem 
and other interesting places in Palestine, it will be profitable, 
first to take a general view of the country, and of some of the 
most prominent events in its history. Palestine, or the Holy 
Land, as it is sometimes termed, is, beyond all doubt, the 
most interesting country in the world. It is the southern 
district of Syria : on the north is Mount Libanus ; on the 
south Mount Seir and the desert of Pharon in Arabia; on the 
east Mounts Hermon and Gilead, with Arabia Deserta ; and on 
the west the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient inhabitants so 
this country were Ethnic, or idolatrous tribes, descended from 
Ham. It was called the land, of Canaan, from one of that 
name, a descendant of Ham. The Patriarch Abraham, at 
the Divine command, left his native place in Chaldea, and 
removed to Canaan. And, as a promise was made to him by 
God, that his seed should inherit the land, it received the 
name of the Promised Land. The Philistians, or Phalestians, 
of the original Ethnic tribes, kept possession of a small por- 
tion of the land, to the south, on the coast of the Mediter- 
ranean, during the subsequent settlement of the Hebrews. 
Hence an ancient historian, Herodotus, in describing this 
country, calls it Syria-Palestina, that is, Syria towards Pales- 
tine ; and after him, other ancient geographers and historians 
call it simply Palestine. In the division of the Promised Land 
among the twelve tribes, the portions of Judah and Benjamin 
fell towards the southern boundary. The kingdom, of Judah 
was made hereditary in the house of David, by divine appoint- 
ment. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin, after the death of 
SoFPmon, alone adhered to the pure ordinances instituted 
under David ; the other ten tribes, having revolted and sepa- 
rated from the kingdom of Judah, established a government 



GENERAL VIEW OF PALESTINE. Ill 

and religion among themselves. Tiie provinces of Samaria 
and Galilee, with the tract east of Jordan, was occupied by 
them, and called, altogether, the kingdom of Israel. Whilst 
the kingdom of Israel was constantly distracted and wasted 
by discord and rebellion, the kingdom of Judah existed five 
hundred and ten years without any civil commotions or in- 
ternal wars, became great and powerful, and extended itself 
over much of the kingdom of Israel, especially after the Assy- 
rian Captivity. And, as the kingdom of Judah survived that 
of Israel about one hundred and twenty years, the whole ter- 
ritory obtained the name of Judah, or Judea. This country 
has also been called the Holy Land, from its having been a 
patriarchal abode, and afterwards becoming the inheritance 
of the chosen people of God ; from the fact that Christ had 
his earthly origin here, and the great work of human redemp- 
tion having been effected within its limits. Thus we are ena- 
bled to understand the origin of the various appellations which 
have been given to this country, of Canaan, the Promised 
Land, Palestine, Judea, and the Holy Land. 

After the Babylonish Captivity, Palestine continued subject 
to the dominion of Persia, until subdued to Macedonia by 
Alexander the Great. It was, also, at times subject to the 
kings of Syria, and the kings of Egypt. At length, whea 
Csesar carried his conquests over this part of the East, it be- 
came a portion of the Roman Empire, and was divided into the 
Tetrarchiesof Judea, Samaria, and Upper and Lower Galilee. 
Thus it continued until the reigns of Vespasian and Titus, 
during which the total extirpation of the Jews from their pos- 
sessions in Palestine took place. About the year A. D. 1075, 
it became the prey of the Ottoman Turks, who, in A. D. 1516, 
when it again reverted to the dominion of the Ottoman race, 
who have held possession ever since, and it is but too well 
known into what a state of ruin it has fallen under its Ma- 
hometan masters. Indeed, the contrast can hardly be un- 
noticed, of magnificence and desolation, of holiness and de- 
pravity, of which this portion of the earth presents so forcible 
and gloomy an example. 

Samaria is the middle province of the Holy Land, and con- 
tains a city of the same name, built by Omri, King of Israel, 
who began to reign A. M. 3079. He bought the hill, Samaria, 
from Shemer, or Shomeron, and from Shemer the name of 
Samaria is derived. Subsequently, it was subjected to dif- 
ferent rulers, and passed through various changes in its 
history, not necessary to be noticed in this work. The Sa- 
maritans built a temple on Mount Gerizim, as the Jews would 



112 GALILEE PRESENT STATE OF PALESTINE. 

not allow them to worship at Jerusalem, but drove them out of 
it in consequence of their revolt against Alexander. The 
religion of the Samaritans was at first Pagan. Each wor- 
shipped the deity he had been accustomed to in his own coun- 
try. Ultimately, the Samaritans added the worship of the 
God of Israel. 

Galilee is the northern portion of the Holy Land, divided 
into Upper and Lower Galilee. It was called Galilee of the 
Gentiles, because possessed by Gentiles, with Jews inter- 
spersed among them, and because it bordered on Gentile 
nations. Our Saviour was surnamed Galilean, because he 
was brought up at Nazareth, a city of Galilee. His disciples 
were generally called Galileans, because the apostles were of 
Galilee. * 

Palestine, as a part of the Turkish empire, is governed by 
the Pachas of Acre and Damascus. 

The present mixed population of the country consists of 
Turks, Syrians, Bedouin Arabs, Jews, Latin, Greek, and Ar- 
menian Christians, Copts, and Druses. The Turks in Pales- 
tine, as elsewhere throughout the empire, occupy all the civil 
and military posts. Greeks form a very numerous part of 
the population. A considerable number of monks, of different 
churches and orders, still reside in the Holy Land, and almost 
every town contains at least one convent. The country dis- 
tricts are, to a great extent, filled with Nomadic Arabs. 

The geographical aspect of Palestine is not less diversified 
than the appearance of its motley population. The fertility 
of the country, at the present time, is not to be compared with 
its former state, owing to the indolence of the inhabitants, 
their vassalage, and their perpetual wars. Some writers 
have represented the country as barren, but this must be un- 
derstood in reference to the mountainous districts around 
Jerusalem. An Oriental's ideas of fertility differ materially 
from ours ; for to him plantations of figs, vines, and olives, 
with which the limestone rocks of Judea were once covered, 
would suggest the same associations of plenty and opulence 
that are called up in the mind of an American by rich tracts 
of corn land. The land of Canaan is described as flowing 
with milk and honey, and it still answers to this description, 
for it contains extensive pasture lands, of the richest quality, 
and the rocky country is covered with aromatic plants, yield- 
ing to the wild bees, which hive in the hollows of the rocks, 
such abundance of honey as to supply the poorer classes with 
an article of food. 



CHAPTER VIIL 

Jerusalem— Streets and Houses — Church of the Holy Sepulchre — Pil- 
grims — Sacred Slab — Sepulchre — Small Chapels of the Copts, «fcc.— ■ 
Absurd Traditions — Chapel of the Cross, &c. — Mount of Crucifixion — 
Ridiculous Ceremonies — Pool of Bethesda — Via Dolorosa — Martyr- 
dom of Stephen — Turks' Cemetery — Tomb of Absalom — Jehoshaphat 
— St. James — Zechariah — Tomb of the Virgin — Gethsemane — -Mount 
of Olives — Mount Moriah — Temple — Mosque of Omar — Pool of Si- 
loam — Aceldama— Mount Zion — Tomb of David — Armenian Convent 
— flail of Caiaphas — Sepulchre of the Kings of Judah — Remains of 
the Ancient Wall — Jews' Place of Prayer — Lunatic — Worship with 
the Episcopal Bishop — His New^ Church — Baptism, 

Jerusalem has been called by different names, Jerusalim, 
Jebus, Salem, Jebusalem, Solyma, Jerosolyma, Jebusehalaim, 
Jerusehelem, and, by the Turks, El Cod. After God had 
declared his choice of Jerusalem for the building of a temple, 
it was considered the metropolis of the Jewish nation. This 
place was subdued first by the Judges, afterwards under 
David. I do not know that a minute account of the history 
of Jerusalem would be particularly interesting in this place. 
It had passed through many changes, until, A. D. 70, Titus 
besieged the city, and burnt it. After the ruin of the temple, 
the Christians built a magnificent church in the city, and the 
Turks, becoming masters of the place, Omar, one of their 
caliphs, built a mosque. 

The city occupies several limestone hills, and is surrounded 
by yet higher elevations, from which those occupied by the 
city are separated by deep ravines. Its form is nearly quad- 
rangular, the valley of Jehoshaphat on the east ; on the west 
is the valley of the son of Hinnom, connecting with the valley 
of Jehoshaphat nearly half a mile from the southeast corner 
of the city wall. Its present population is about twenty thou- 
sand. 

The morning after our arrival, we set out, with a guide, to 
visit some of the interesting objects of this deeply interesting 
city. As we walked along the streets, they appeared very 
rough and uneven. They are narrow, not being more than 
eight or ten feet wide. The sidewalks, if such they may be 
termed, are raised about one or two feet above the narrow 

10* 



114 JERUSALEM— CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. 

track intended for the passage of animals, and are paved with- 
out any regard to comfort and convenience. The stones are, 
many of them, large, and project higher than those around 
them, thus rendering it dangerous, unless one has the eye 
constantly on the ground. The centre of the street is nothing 
more than a mere gutter, and meeting a loaded animal, one 
is liable to be brushed with its load as it passes. The houses 
are generally constructed of stone, the lower story consisting 
of arches, which are used for kitchens, stables, &c., and are 
usually very filthy ; the upper stories are occupied by the 
family. They have but few, and sometimes no windows on 
the street, the light being admitted through the open court, 
around which many of the houses are built. Very often both 
sides of a street are occupied by a dwelling, the parts being 
connected by arches across the street, giving the street a dark 
and gloomy appearance. The inhabitants seem indifferent to 
the condition of their houses, permitting them to remain in a 
decaying state, which renders them very uncomfortable. 

We first went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The 
first sight which attracted our gaze, upon our arrival in front 
of the building, was a crowd of ragged, dirty, filthy beings, 
consisting of men, women, and children, all dealers in beads, 
crucifixes, and relics. Among the most conspicuous were 
the Christifins of Bethlehem, with images of the Saviour, and 
a host of saints, made of pearl, and in all kinds of fantastical 
shapes and forms. 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a large and unsightly 
edifice. It is very irregular in its form, which may be ac- 
counted for upon the supposition that, in its plan and con- 
struction, an effort was made to include within its walls every 
thing pertaining to the crucifixion and resurrection of the 
Saviour. It is at least three hundred feet in length, but very 
irregular in depth. It has two wings in front, which form 
the court. 

The governor of the city keeps the keys of the church, 
which is opened only at stated hours, with the consent of the 
three convents, which send their respective dragomen to be 
present at the opening. A Turk guards the door. We found 
the court thronged with pilgrims and other visiters besides 
ourselves, waiting for the door to be opened. In the mean- 
time, many of the pilgrims were devoutly engaged in kissing 
the marble columns which stand on each side of the door, 
making their lips smack in the most gracious manner. They 
commenced by saluting, first, the two columns on the right, 
then the door itself, and next the two columns on the left of 



PILGRIMS SACRED SLAB SEPULCHRE. 115 

the door, following one another in quick succession. This cere- 
mony was kept up until the door was opened, when the eager 
throng rushed in, pell-mell, in the utmost disorder and confu- 
sion, manifesting any thing but reverence in their demeanour. 

The first object presented in the interior, was a marble 
slab, on which, it is said, the body of the Saviour was laid 
to be washed and prepared for burial. It is surmounted by 
a low iron railing, and over it are suspended several lamps, 
and at each end three large wax candles. Around this slab, 
the pilgrims in rotation kneeled, sealing their devotions with 
a sacred kiss. The monks in attendance assert, that this 
slab is not the real stone on which the body was laid, but is 
a mere covering to the real one which is concealed beneath, 
and which is too sacred a relic for mortals to touch or see! 

We passed on through this large building, until we came 
to what is called the Sepulchre, or Tomb, in which, it is said, 
the sacred body was laid, the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. 
This is situated directly under the large dome. Sixteeen 
beautiful columns, supporting a gallery, surround a neat 
building about tv^enty feet long and twelve high, the front, 
square; the back, circular: within this is the sepulchre. At 
the door stands a block of marble, which the monks point to 
as the seat occupied by the angel who announced the resur- 
rection of the Lord. " And behold, there was a great earth- 
quake : for the angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, 
and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat 
upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his rai- 
ment white as snow : And for fear of him the keepers did 
shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered 
and said to the women. Fear not ye ; for I know that ye 
seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here : for he is 
risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." 
(Matt, xxviii.) 

At this spot we had to take off our shoes, in order to ap- 
proach the holy place. The entrance into the sepulchre is 
low and narrow, and we had to stoop as we entered. In the 
first chamber was the stone which we .were told had closed 
the mouth of the sepulchre; it was a very handsomely po- 
lished square block of marble. From this we passed on to 
the inner room or chamber, the most sacred place. I was 
rather surprised to see a marble sarcophagus, having a lid of 
the same, instead of the sepulchre heiun out of the rock. It 
is about six feet long, occupies a considerable portion of the 
small chamber, and leaves but little space for half a dozen 
visiters or pilgrims to stand around it. Here are kept a 



116 SMALL CHAPELS OF THE COPTS ABSURD TRADITIONS. 

large number of lamps continually burning. Here stood a 
long-bearded monk with a plate in his hand to receive contri- 
butions, which we, of course, did not disregard. As I placed 
my contribution on the plate, the monk took my hand and 
sprinkled the palm with holy water. I do not know how 
holy it might be ; but it was pleasantly perfumed. 

Returning from the interior of the sepulchre, we were 
shown at the west end several small chapels, where the 
Copts, Abyssinians, and Syrians, perform their devotional 
ceremonies at the various festivals. On the east, the Greek 
convent have their chapel. In the centre of this is a low 
pillar of marble, which superstition points out as the very 
spot from which the body of our first parent Adam was 
formed ! On the left is a row of doors, one of which leads 
to the prison, in which, it is said, Christ was confined be- 
fore they led him out to be crucified. And in front of the 
door of the chapel, is a stone, on which, it is affirmed, he 
was placed when in the stocks, an occurrence in the history 
of his sufferings which the sacred writers must have for- 
gotten to record 1 1 The Latin chapel is called the Chapel of 
Apparition, where Christ appeared to Mary. «< But Mary 
stood without at the sepulchre weeping : and as she wept she 
stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two 
angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the other at 
the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say 
unto her. Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, 
Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not 
where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, 
she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew 
not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why 
weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to 
be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him 
hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him 
away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary ! She turned herself, 
and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say. Master !" 
(John XX.) Within this chapel is the pillar to which, they 
say, our Saviour was bound when he was scourged ! " And 
when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be cruci- 
fied." (Matt, xxvii.) Then they have a chapel where they 
say the soldier retired to repent, after he had struck the 
spear into the Redeemer's side ! " They shall look on him 
whom they have pierced." (John xix.) .Then another, where 
the soldiers divided his raiment and cast lots for his vesture. 
"Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his 
garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part ; and 



CHAPEL OF THE CROSS, ETC. 117 

also his coat : now the coat was without seam, woven from 
the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, 
Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it whose it shall be : that 
the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted 
my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast 
lots." (John xix.) 

Descending twenty-eight marble steps, we entered the 
Chapel of the Cross, a large chamber, badly lighted by 
lamps : four columns support the roof; on the right of the 
altar is a seat, which, they told us, the Empress Helena oc- 
cupied, when she watched the operations of the workmen 
digging below to find the cross, of the location of which she 
had been informed in a dream. Then descending another 
flight of steps, we came to a second chamber, hung with 
tapestry and lighted with lamps, where we were shown a 
marble slab, having on it the figure of a cross, which, they 
say, covered the pit where the real cross was found! In an- 
other chapel, they pointed out to us the very identical stone, 
under the altar, and protected by an iron railing, on which 
the Saviour sat when crowned with thorns 1 " And the 
soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, 
and they put on him a purple robe, and said. Hail, King 
of the Jews ! And they smote him with their hands." 
(John xix.) 

We reached the Mount of Crucifixion by ascending twenty- 
two steps cut in the rock. It is only eighteen or twenty feet 
across the top. The chapel is paved with marble, and hung 
around with tapestry, and lighted with lamps. At one end 
is an altar, under which is a circular plate of silver, having 
a hole in the centre, showing the place where, they affirm, 
rested the foot of the cross. On each side is another hole, 
showing where the crosses of the two thieves stood: " And 
he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place 
of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha ; where 
they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side 
one, and Jesus in the midst." (John xix.) Near this place, 
the monks showed us a fissure in a rock, covered over with 
silk upon brass bars, which they said was rent asunder when 
the Saviour suffered : "Jesus, when he had again cried with 
a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold, the veil of 
the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom ; and 
the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." (Matt, xxvii.) 
Without, by any means, admitting the accuracy of all that 
was told us in regard to the localities of the solemn events 
recorded in the Word of God, and without giving credence 



118 KIDICULOUS CEREMONIES POOL OF BETHESDA. 

to the idle and silly stories respecting many doubtful things 
which were told us; still, I felt disposed to ask myself, with 
deep emotions and solemnity of feeling, Is this really the 
spot where the Son of God endured the agonizing death of 
the cross ? Did he here send up that affecting prayer for his 
enemies and murderers, " Father, forgive them : for they 
know not what they do!" (Luke xxiii.) Was it here that 
he pardoned and received the penitent malefactor ? " And he 
said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into 
thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto 
thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke xxiii.) 
Was it here that he cried out in the extremity of his bitter 
sufferings, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 
me?" (Matt, xxvii.) And when all was done, and the bitter 
cup drank to its very dregs, " It is finished : and he bowed 
his head, and gave up the ghost!" (John xix.) 

The ridiculous mummery of the Easter holidays which 
are annually acted in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, I 
had not an opportunity of witnessing; having left Jerusalem 
previous to that time. But I was informed, that the Catholics 
prepare an image of a man crowned with thorns and nailed 
to a cross, which they carry in procession to all the places 
which commemorate the various sad events which pre- 
ceded and followed the crucifixion ; in succession, to the 
Altar of Flagellation, the Prison, the Division of the Saviour's 
Garments, and to Calvary, where in all the forms of cere- 
mony, the cross is erected and permitted to stand a reason- 
able time, when the body is taken down and placed in the 
Holy Sepulchre. And the resurrection is likewise celebrated 
in due form by the Greeks, during the exercises of which 
the priests and monks entertain the credulous multitude with 
a display of many ridiculous tricks and pious frauds. 

We next visited the Pool of Bethesda, noted by tradition 
as the place where David witnessed Bathsheba bathing, (2 
Sam. xi.,) and where the impotent man lay under one of the 
five porches, waiting for the descending angel to move the 
waters ; but who was miraculously healed by the Saviour 
commanding him to take up his bed and walk ; as described 
by the unerring pen of inspiration : " The impotent man an- 
swered him, Sir, 1 have no man, when the water is troubled, 
to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another 
steppeth down before me. Jesus saith' unto him. Rise, take 
up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made 
whole, and took up his bed, and walked." (John v.) We 
found the pool about fifty feet deep, perfectly dry, and partly 



VIA DOLOROSA MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN. 119 

filled up with rubbish. It must have been formerly supplied 
with water by an aqueduct. 

We passed under the nrch called Ecce Homo^ in which is 
the window from which the Roman judge exclaimed to the 
hard-hearted Jews, " Behold the man !" " Pilate, therefore, 
went forth again, and saith unto them. Behold, I bring him 
forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. 
Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and 
the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them. Behold the 
man 1 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw 
him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him." 
(John xix.) Next we passed along the Via Dolorosa, the 
way, as it is affirmed, the Saviour travelled from the Judg- 
ment Flail of Pilate to Calvary's summit. They pointed out 
to us the very spot where Simon was compelled to take up 
the cross, after Christ had fainted under the load ; also three 
stones on which the Saviour sat to rest when overcome with 
fatigue! " And as they led him away, they laid hold upon 
one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on 
him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus." 
(Luke xxiii.) 

They pointed out to us the house of Simon, the Pharisee, 
in which Mary Magdalene made confession of her sins ! also 
the dwelling of Mary, Mark's mother I and the house of La- 
zarus, and that of Dives ! " And in hell he lifted up his eyes, 
being in torment, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus 
in his bosom." (Luke xvi.) * The folly of pretending to point 
out such localities, especially such as belong to mere para- 
bles, the characters of which never existed in real life, is too 
absurd. They are referred to here, merely to give the reader 
a correct impression of the sayings and doings of the super- 
stitious monks of modern Jerusalem. 

We passed out of the city through the gate of St. Stephen, 
for the purpose of exannning all that we might find interest- 
ing in that direction. Not far from the bridge which crosses 
the brook Kedron, we were shown the spot where the Martyr 
Stephen was stoned to death, when the garments of his mur- 
derers were laid down at the feet of Saul. The gate bearing 
the name of the martyr is supposed to have been so called 
from this sad event occurring in it^ vicinity. " When they 
heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they 
gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the 
Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the 
glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 
and said. Behold, I see the heavens** opened, and the Son of 



120 Turks' cemetery — tomhs of absalom, etc. 

Man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried 
out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon 
him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned 
him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young 
man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, 
calling upon God, and saying. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 
And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice. Lord, lay 
not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he 
fell asleep." (Acts vii.) 

We entered, previously, the Turks' Cemetery, which occu- 
pies a level piece of ground on the left, between the city and 
the valley of Jehoshaphat. The monuments are mostly plain 
masonry composed of stones, and sometimes of earth. Some 
few of the graves are adorned by small marble slabs. This 
is a place of much resort, especially for the women and chil- 
dren, many of whom were running about, engaged in various 
pastimes or chanting over the dead. From this place we 
went down towards the brook Kedron and the valley of Je- 
hoshaphat. Here we saw the tombs of Absalom, Zechariah, 
and Jehoshaphat, and an immense number of plain Hebrew 
tombs. The Tomb of Absalom is a pillar twenty-two feet 
square, standing in an area excavated in the rock. Its form 
is cubic, the height being about equal to its breadth. It is 
surrounded by sixteen columns, four on each side. Two 
courses of hewn stone surmount the shaft, and above these 
rises a sort of circular cone, about fifteen feet in height. Be- 
hind the Tomb of Absalom is that of Jehoshaphat. It is a 
grotto under the mountain, but the entrance is filled with 
rubbish. Next is that of St. James, which is likewise a 
grotto. The entrance is a portal, at least twenty feet above 
the bases of the other tombs. Next is the Tomb of Zecha- 
riah, which is somewhat similar to that of Absalom, but not 
so high. 

The Jews' Cemetery is near the Tomb of Zechariah, is very 
large, and is covered with thousands of tombs of a plain and 
humble appearance. The monuments are all very similar to 
one another, and consist, for the most part, of plain, heavy 
blocks of limestone, covered with inscriptions in Hebrew, and 
appear to be of ancient construction. The Jews are all de- 
sirous of being buried here in this ancient cemetery of their 
fathers, and seem to linger about its precincts with an attach- 
ment that is truly wonderful. 

Next we were shown the tomb of the Virgin Mary. We 
passed through a large marble doorway, and after descend- 
ing some steps, which led us into a church excavated in the 



TOMB OF THE VIKGIN GETIISEMANE. 121 

solid rock, from which we passed by a flight of marble steps, 
we entered the chamber, on the right of which, in a recess, 
was the tomb of the Virgin, with an altar over it, and a paint- 
ing representing her death-bed scene, with the Saviour stand- 
ing over her, as a dutiful son, waiting for her blessing ! 

That hallowed spot, the Garden of Gethsemane, is situated 
at the foot of the hill, upon the edge of the valley of Jehosha- 
phat, and below the Mount of Olives. It is surrounded by a 
rude stone wall, and appears to contain about an acre of 
ground. Every circumstance seems to indicate this as 
the locality of Gethsemane, although it was doubtless former- 
ly a larger enclosure. Eight olive trees are standinsj in this 
place, very ancient in their appearance, one of which the 
monks assert is the identical tree under which the Saviour 
was betrayed by Judas. Here I procured a branch from this 
venerable tree, to take home with me to the United States. 
A short distance outside the garden, a stone is pointed out, 
marking the place where the suffering Saviour endured his 
agony. This garden will always be viewed by the Christian 
as a spot hallowed by some of the most mournful events in the 
history of his suffering Redeemer. Hither he often resorted 
with his little band to pray and hold converse with his Father 
in Heaven. Hither he retired from the last supper, after in- 
stituting the sacred feast of remembrance, when he " began 
to be sorrowful and very heavy," telling his disciples, " My 
soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." (Matt, xxvi.) 
Here he prayed that heart-rending prayer, " Oh my Father, 
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." (Matt, xxvi.) 
Here he wrestled with the powers of darkness, enduring the 
wrath of Heaven due to the sins of Adam's apostate race ; 
" and being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly : and 
his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling down 
to the ground." (Luke xxii.) Here he was betrayed by the 
mercenary Judas, into the hands of his enemies; and hence 
he was dragged away to the bar of an earthly judge, to be 
"crowned with thorns," mocked by an insulting rabble, de- 
serted by his disciples, lacerated by cruel scourging ; and, 
though innocent, harmless, holy, yet to be condemned to die 
the lingering, excruciating, humiliating death of a common 
malefactor, merely to gratify the vengeance, and satiate the 
malice of an infuriated, lawless mob, thirsting for his blood. 
Yet, in that mysterious providence, expiation was made for 
sin, redemption purchased by his blood, and salvation obtain- 
ed for a world sinking down into the darkness of eternal 
death. Who would not desire to be " able to comprehend, 

11 



122 MOUNT OF OLIVES. 

with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, 
and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth 
knowledge, that they may be filled with all the fulness of 
God." (Eph. iii.) 

From the Garden of Gethsemane we ascended the Mount 
of Olives. This is a range of four mountains, whose sum- 
mits are of different heights. The one fixed upon as the place 
whence our Redeemer ascended to Heaven, is the highest, and 
rises directly from the Garden of Gethsemane. A ruined 
monastery is about half-way up this mountain, which the 
monks assert, marks the spot where the Lord Jesus sat when 
he predicted the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, and 
when he wept over the city, expressing that sympathetic ex- 
clamation, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the 
prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how 
often would 1 have gathered thy children together, even as a 
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would 
not ! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (Matt, 
xxiii.) 

This mountain was once covered with a dense growth of 
olive trees. It is now but scantily covered with this hardy 
and long-lived tree, from one of which, near the top, I obtain- 
ed a branch. Here are also some pomegranates and fig trees. 
We soon arrived at the summit, where the Ascension is said 
to have occurred. The view from this place is indeed the 
most beautiful and enchanting, embracing so many interest- 
ing objects ; the Garden of Gethsemane, the valley of Jeho- 
shaphat, the city of Jerusalem, the plains of Jericho, the val- 
ley of the Jordan, and the Dead Sea. On the summit stands an 
Arab village, in which is a small building of octagonal form, 
which we were told stands directly over the spot whence the 
Saviour made his ascension to Heaven, in the presence of his 
assembled and astonished disciples. The monks showed us 
a print of a man's foot in a rock, which they affirm was made 
by Christ himself. The print we distinctly saw, without de- 
termining whether it was made by the monks themselves, or 
was one of the pious frauds of the Empress Helena, who, it 
is said, made the discovery. 

On the side of this mountain our blessed Lord, with his 
disciples, spent many hours in prayer ; here he gave them 
the principal lessons of heavenly instruction which fell from 
his gracious lips ; here he discoursed with them so freely 
respecting the great objects of his mission to earth, giving them, 
from time to time, those glowing descriptions of the spiritual 
kingdom he came to establish among the sons of men ; here 



MOUNT OF OLIVES — MOUNT MORIAH TEMPLE. 123 

he often alluded to the dark and trying scenes of his final 
sufferings and bitter agonies, through which he was to pass 
to the cross, to death, and the grave ; here he instructed their 
ignorance, removed their rising doubts, dissipated their gloomy 
fears, inspired their hopes, confirmed their faith, instilled their 
joys, and raised their affections from earth to Heaven. Here 
they had the last glimpse of their departing, ascending Lord. 
" And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, 
he was taken up; and a cloud received hira out of their sight. 
And while they looked steadfastly toward Pleaven, as he went 
up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel ; which 
also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into 
Heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into 
Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him 
go into Heaven." (Acts i.) " And they worshipped him, 
and returned to Jerusalem with great joy : and were continu- 
ally in the temple, praising and blessing God." (Luke xxiv.) 

From the Mount of Olives I had a distinct view of Mount 
Moriah, and of the Mosque of Omar, which occupies the site 
of the Temple of Solomon. I preferred the place where we 
stood, for a view of these objects, to the top of the governor's 
house, although the latter place was much nearer. The 
summit of Mount Moriah has always been considered holy 
ground. It is remarkable, as the scene of many deeply in- 
teresting events. The area of the Harem, which was once 
the site of the magnificent Temple of Solomon, now contains 
the Mosque of Omar. Christians are not permitted to enter 
this sacred enclosure, and must be content with a view from 
the outside. The grounds are beautifully laid out in orange, 
cypress and olive trees, among which the Mohammedans^of 
both sexes were promenading in large companies. The 
mosque was built in the seventh century, by the Caliph 
Omar, and is a magnificent structure. It stands upon an 
elevated platform, which is reached by steps. The form of 
the building is an octagon, each side being, as is said, sixty 
feet in length. A splendid dome surmounts the mosque. 
The exterior of this noble structure is of white marble. The 
upper part is faced with tiles of various colours, yellow, green, 
blue, and white. The porch is lofty, supported by columns, 
and is surmounted by a dome. The whole appearance of the 
building is grand and imposing in the extreme. 

From the entire enclosure of the harem all Christians, as 
has already been observed, are excluded, and that upon pain 
of death. I once ventured to approach one of the entrances, 
intending to obtain merely a glimpse of the court around the 



124 POOL OF SILO AM ACELDAMA. 

mosque, notwithstanding the remonstrances of my compa- 
nions. I went so near as to succeed in part in the object I 
had in view, before I was discovered and ordered back by the 
Turkish soldiers on guard. It is said, that an entrance is to 
be found from the exterior wall to the vast subterranean 
chambers which, it is well known, extend under a large por- 
tion of the area of the harem, where a number of massive 
columns support heavy arches of masonry. But this en- 
trance we did not attempt to find, knowing that it would be 
attended with considerable peril, as the Turks are constantly 
on the alert to watch, with the greatest vigilance, every sus- 
picious movement on the part of Christians. 

We paid a visit to the Pool of Siloam, which comes from 
the foot of Mount Zion, from a small artificial basin, and 
flows into a large reservoir, about twenty feet deep, having 
but little water at the bottom. From this reservoir it flows, 
in a beautifiil, though small stream, into the brook Kedron. 
To this pool Christ sent the blind man to wash. " When he 
had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the 
spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the 
clay, and said unto him. Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, 
(which is, by interpretation, sent.) He went his way, there- 
fore, and washed, and came seeing." (John ix.) We, as 
well as the numerous pilgrims around us, washed our eyes in 
the stream. 

In the course of our walks around Jerusalem, we passed by 
the great tree under which, tradition affirms, that the prophet 
Isaiah was sawn asunder. A large pile of stones surrounds 
its base. Thence we passed to Aceldama, the Field of Blood. 
Here we saw an immense number of tombs, both in the valley 
and on the side of the mountain, but none in the level part of 
the field itself. This field was purchased with the thirty 
pieces of silver which the traitor Judas received for betraying 
his Lord and Master, and which he cast away at the feet of 
the chief priests and elders, when, harrowed by remorse for 
his wicked deed, he acknowledged his crime, and went and 
hanged himself. "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, 
when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and 
brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests 
and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the 
innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See 
thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the 
temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And 
the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not law- 
ful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of 



MOUNT ZION — T03IB OF DAVID ARMENIAN CONVENT. 125 

blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the 
potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore the field was 
called the field of blood, unto this day. Then was fiilfilled 
that which was spoken by Jerenny the prophet, saying, And 
they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was 
valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value, and 
gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me." 
(Matt, xxvii.) 

We ascended to the summit of Mount Zion, and as near 
the Turkish mosque that covers the Tomb of David as Chris- 
tian dogs are allowed to approach. This mosque is an ancient 
church, in the upper story of which, tradition asserts, the last 
passover was celebrated by Christ and the apostles ; and a 
recess in the wall is pointed out as the place occupied by 
Christ as a seat on the memorable occasion. All this, as it 
regards locality, is doubtful, yet the record of the Bible is 
true. " And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and 
blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, 
Take, eat ; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave 
thanks, and gave it to them, saying. Drink ye all of it; for 
this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many 
for the remission of sins." (Matt, xxvi.) "This do in re- 
membrance of me." (Luke xxii.) 

We returned to the city by the gate of Zion, and visited 
the Armenian Convent. This convent, or at least its chapel, 
is probably not surpassed for beauty and riches. It appears 
to be almost lined with gold. This convent is said to occupy 
the site, and to embrace a part of the remains of the house of 
Caiaphas. Hither Christ was taken first, after his apprehen- 
sion in the garden, and was kept in prison here before Pilate 
passed sentence upon him. "And they that had laid hold on 
Jesus, led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the 
scribes and the elders were assembled. Then did they spit 
in his face, and buffeted him ; and others smote him with the 
palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ. 
Who is he that smote thee]" (Matt, xxvi.) The spot is 
shown here where Peter stood when he cowardly denied his 
master, and also the place where the cock crew ! " Then 
began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. 
And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered 
the words of Jesus, which said unto him. Before the cock 
crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out and wept 
bitterly." (Matt, xxvi.) Under the altar of the church is 
exhibited the stone which closed the mouth of the holy sepul- 
chre. Thus they have in Jerusalem alone no less than two 

11* 



126 SEPULCHRE OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH. 

stones, which they affirm closed the mouth of the sepulchre! 
From the convent we passed through the Jews' quarter, a 
dirty, filthy place. These Jews are a much more handsome 
people than the Turks or Arabs. 

About half a mile outside the Damascus gate, is the Sepul- 
chre of the Kings of Judah. This sepulchre is an excavation 
in the solid limestone rock, and the entrance is under a small 
arch. On entering is a large portico on the left; at the end 
is a hole, so filled up with rubbish as to render access to the 
interior very difficult, and which conducts to a chamber 
twenty feet square. In this chamber are three doors, open- 
ing into three smaller chambers, which constitute the deposi- 
tories for the dead. In each of these are niches for the 
reception of sarcophagi. The fragments of sarcophagi scat- 
tered through these inner chambers are covered with a great 
many rich ornaments, carved upon the marble. One of the 
doors, which was lying on the ground, had been cut from the 
solid rock, and turned on its sockets without having been 
removed from its first place. 

Some remains of the ancient wall of Jerusalem may be 
seen, by passing out of the gate of St. Stephen, and turning 
to the right, towards the southeast corner of the city. Here, 
in the wall of the Harem, as the area is now called which 
formerly contained the Temple, are immense blocks of stone, 
composing the foundation of the old wall. They are about 
twenty feet long, and between three and four high. In one 
place sixteen courses may be counted, rising in height at 
least fifty or sixty feet. Their want of similarity to the other 
portions of the wall, built by the Turks and others, is con- 
clusive evidence of their antiquity. 

A portion of the ancient bridge which connected the Temple 
with Mount Zion, may also be seen in the western wall of the 
Harem. It consists of the fragments of an arch, projecting 
from the wall, and gives the clearest evidence of having be- 
longed to that ancient structure. 

The Jews have an open space allotted them, near the wall, 
where they assemble on Fridays, and occasionally, in small 
numbers, on other days, to wail and pray over the desolations 
of their temple and city. This open place is paved with flags, 
and the Jews keep them well swept and clean. When they 
approach it, they take off their shoes, in token of their great 
reverence for the place. How strikingly is thus fulfilled that 
declaration of the pious Psalmist, "If I forget thee, O Jerusa- 
lem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not re- 



WORSHIP WITH THE EPISCOPAL BISHOP. 127 

member thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth> 
if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." (Psalm 
cxxxvii.) 

Many places in and about Jerusalem I did not visit ; such 
as Peter's prison, where the iron gate opened of itself; the 
spot where Christ appeared to the women after his resurrec- 
tion ; the place where he taught the disciples the Lord's 
prayer; the place where Judas hanged himself; and the 
localities of many other places and occurrences mentioned in 
the Scriptures. I had not credulity sufficient in the Catho- 
lics' stories concerning those localities, and as T had visited 
all the prominent objects and places of interest, I concluded 
to let the rest pass unnoticed. 

One day, as our company were passing along the street, 
we encountered a wretched lunatic, hobbling along with a 
hatchet in his hand, almost naked, frothing at the mouth, and 
making a strange noise, which sounded neither like a human 
voice, nor that of a brute animal. He reminded me of the 
poor objects out of whom Christ cast devils, in the days of his 
public ministrations on earth. Some of our party proposed 
retreating from the narrow and confined street ; but the poor 
creature passed us several times without attempting to molest 
any one, and we kept on our way. 

On a Sabbath, while in Jerusalem, we went to worship 
with the English bishop recently located in the city by the 
British Government, who had sent us a special invitation. 
We found a small company, consisting of the bishop's family, 
the English consul, who, with our party, made in all about 
twelve or fifteen persons. A converted Jew preached in 
rather broken English. They were about erecting a church 
in the city, on the site, it was said, where the house of Mark 
had stood, and where Christ had appeared to the women after 
his resurrection. They had commenced digging for the foun- 
dations, and, although they had gone some considerable depth, 
say ten or twelve feet below the surface, yet they had not 
found sufficient solidity to enable them to commence building. 
In the excavations they had found several pieces of marble, 
which they intended to send to the British Museum. It is 
evident that the foundations of ancient Jerusalem must be 
much enveloped in the ruins of the old buildings of the city. 

In my excursions in and around Jerusalem, I have been 
led to notice the entire absence of any large or even ordinary 
streams of water. And I have observed, from the books of 
other travellers, notice of the same fact. The brook Kedron 
is the only running stream near the city, or within any rea- 



128 BAPTISM. 

sonable distance, and that is a very small one, and nearly 
dry the greater portion of the year. It was nearly dry during 
my stay in the city and vicinity, although that was termed a 
portion of the wet season. In the city the inhabitants depend 
upon collecting rain-water in cisterns for culinary purposes. 
And, throughout the country generally, the only dependance 
is upon cisterns and wells for a supply of water for all pur- 
poses. Even springs are remarkably scarce. No one can 
travel through Palestine without noticing this feature in the 
face of the country. And every appearance indicates that 
this has undoubtedly always been the case. Noticing this 
fact, led me to contemplate the mode of baptism which must 
have been necessarily practised by the apostles and primitive 
Christians ; and I am unavoidably constrained to believe that 
the mode practised by them never could have been immersion. 
Jordan was too remote to make that stream the place for all 
baptismal services, although it may be that some were bap- 
tized at that river. The converts of the day of Pentecost 
certainly were not taken to the banks of the distant Jordan 
for baptism. It is more than probable that the poor, despised 
and persecuted followers of Jesus of Nazareth would not be 
allowed access to the private baths of the rich, nor to the 
public reservoirs in and about the city ; for they would have 
been driven away for attempting to pollute those sacred places, 
as Paul was driven out of the Temple after he professed Chris- 
tianity. Whilst, therefore, I sincerely respect the opinions of 
those denominations who practise immersion for baptism, my 
own mind is strongly confirmed in the opinion that the pri- 
mitive Christians, in and near Jerusalem, never could have 
practised immersion. 



CHAPTER IX. 



Excursion to the Jordan— Bethany— Tomb of Lazarus — Mount of Temp- 
tation — Jericho — Tower— Elisha's Fountain — Jordan — Events on the 
Banks — The Dead Sea— Buoyancy of the Water — Sodom and Gomor- 
rah — Santa Saba— Bethlehem — Convent of the Nativity — Plains of 
Bethlehem — Rachel's Tomb — Monastery of St. Elias — Return to Jeru- 
salem — Oppression of the Governor — Successful Audience — Pilgrim's 
Certificate. 



We concluded to visit the river Jordan and the Dead Sea ; 
an excursion which is considered one of the most dangerous 
in the Holy Land, on account of the wild character of the 
Arabs who infest those regions. By the advice of the English 
consul, we procured the services of a Bedouin Sheik, who 
was said to possess great influence over the Arabs occupying 
that part of the country. This man brought with him eleven 
of his men, as a guard, all well armed, and horses for our- 
selves and luggage. He was accustomed to this business, 
and his success in obtaining constant employment for himself 
and men, in conducting travellers, depended upon the safety 
and protection which his arms and influence afforded. 

We passed out of St. Stephen's Gate, crossed the brook 
Kedron and the valley of Jehoshaphat, wound around the base 
of the Mount of Olives, and entered the road leading to Betha- 
ny, Jericho, and the Jordan. After about an hour's ride, 
we came to a ruined Arab village, once the Bethany of the 
New Testament. Here they pretended to show travellers the 
house of Mary and Martha, and their brother Lazarus, where 
dwelt that interesting family whose society the Saviour and 
his disciples so frequently sought. The barren fig-tree, 
cursed by our Lord ; a fountain enclosed with marble, from 
which the Saviour and his disciples often drank; and the 
identical tomb of Lazarus, are all shown in this vicinity ! 
This tomb is a large excavation in the solid rock. After de- 
scending a flight of some ten or twelve steps, we reached the 
sepulchral chamber. It was here, (supposing the locality to 
be correct, which is of but little importance,) that Jesus, in 
the sympathies of his tender heart, wept over the grave of 



130 BETHANY TOMB OF LAZARUS. 

Lazarus, and displayed the power and glory of his Godhead, 
in raising him from the chambers of the sleeping dead. (John 
xi.) It was one of these sisters, Mary, who, on a subsequent 
occasion, anointed the feet of Jesus with a pound of costly 
ointment, and wiped them with her hair, filling the house with 
the sweet and precious odour. (John xii.) It was somewhere 
in the vicinity of Bethany, that the Saviour cried, " Now is 
my soul troubled: and what shall I say? Father, save me 
from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 
Father, glorify thy name. Then came a voice from Heaven, 
saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again :" 
which voice the people took for thunder, others for the voice 
of an angel. (John xii.) It was from this vicinity that the 
disciples, in obedience to their Lord's command, obtained the 
colt, on which man had never yet sat, and on which Christ 
rode so triumphantly into Jerusalem ; " And many spread 
their garments in the way : and others cut down branches off 
the trees, and strewed them in the way : and they that went 
before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna : 
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord : Blessed 
be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name 
of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." (Mark xi.) 

We saw nothing in this place very interesting ; and after 
satisfying', or rather attempting to satisfy, the importunity of 
the Arab boys after bucksheesh, for holding our horses a few 
moments at the tomb, we pursued our course towards the 
plains of Jericho. We were soon among the wild and rugged 
scenery of the mountains, winding our way doivn to Jericho^ 
termed by Moses, the city of palm trees. The road is a con- 
tinual descent all the way; hence the expression so frequently 
used in the Scriptures, down to Jericho. The whole route is 
dreary and desolate in the extreme, and is well suited as the 
scene of the parable of the good Samaritan, who so benevo- 
lently aided the poor man who had fallen among thieves. 
(Luke X.) Passing along this dreary road, we came near to 
the mountain where, it is said, our Saviour passed the season 
of fasting and temptation, the sides of which were pierced 
with doors of hermits' cells. (Luke iv.) We continued de- 
scending until, near the base of the mountain, we passed the 
remains of an ancient aqueduct and some other ruins, proba- 
bly a part of ancient Jericho, and then approached the plains 
of Jordan. These plains are fertile, and well watered, but 
for the most part uncultivated. Here were low trees, or 
bushes, bearing what are called the apples of Sodom, two or 
three of which I plucked off and brought home with me. At 
about 5 p. M. we arrived at Jericho, and pitched our tents on 



JERICHO. 131 

the plain. As night approached, our sheik built several fires 
at different distances, for the purpose, as he informed us, of 
deceiving the numerous robbers in the mountains in regard to 
our strength and numbers. He kept watch all night, and no 
one disturbed our camp. Yet, about four days previous to 
our arrival, a company of English gentlemen, who had en- 
camped on the same spot, were attacked in the night by a 
band of Bedouin Arabs, who extorted a large ransom from 
them in lieu of the booty then in their power. 

Jericho was the first city in Canaan taken by Joshua. 
Here the spies sent by him were received and secreted by 
Rahab, for which act she and her family were spared in the 
general slaughter that followed the capture of the city. 
Joshua having received God's command to besiege Jericho ; 
soon after his passage over Jordan, he laid siege to the place, 
took it, and burned it to the ground, consecrating all the gold, 
silver, and brass to the Lord's treasury. Then Joshua said, 
" Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseih up and 
buildeth this city Jericho : he shall lay the foundation thereof 
in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the 
gates of it." (Josh, vi.) Hiel, of Bethel, about five hundred 
and thirty-seven years afterwards, undertook to rebuild it, 
and lost his eldest son, Abiram, while laying the foundations, 
and his youngest son, Segub, when he hung up the gates. 
However, we are not to imagine that no city of Jericho ex- 
isted until the time of Hiel ; for a city of palm trees, probably 
the same as Jericho, existed under the Judges. David's am- 
bassadors, who had been insulted by the Ammonites, resided 
at Jericho until their beards were again grown. Josephus 
distinguishes these two places, when he says, that in his time, 
near ancient Jericho, which was destroyed by Joshua, was a 
fountain which abounded with water. But after Hiel of Bethel 
had rebuilt old Jericho, no one scrupled to dwell in the new 
city. Herod built a very beautiful palace at Jericho. For a 
long time Jericho was the second city of Judea, but its site, 
marked by a high square tower, is all that is now known of 
its former greatness. About eighteen months previous to our 
arrival, Jericho consisted of some fifty or sixty Arab houses, 
(or rather huts built of stone roughly piled up on three sides, 
having the front and top open, or merely covered with bushes,) 
which were inhabited by robbers, who had become so bold as 
to attack and rob the Pacha of Egypt's soldiers; in conse- 
quence of which daring deed, the Pacha sent his son, Ibrahim 
Pacha, by some termed the Bull-dog of the East, who entirely 
destroyed their village, and dispersed the inhabitants. 



132 TOWEK ELISIIa's FOUxTFAlN. 

We ascended to the top of the tower, and obtained an ex- 
tensive view of the plains of Jericho; up the river Jordan for 
some fifteen or twenty nmiles, until the mountains on each 
side seemed to meet ; and of the Dead Sea, as far as the eye 
could reach. We visited likewise the miraculous fountain of 
Elisha, which is enclosed in a handsome marble basin, from 
which streams flow through the plains of Jericho. This 
is said to be the fountain into which the prophet, at the 
request of the men of Jericho, cast salt and healed the 
water, I tasted of the water; it was rather warm and brack- 
ish, as if Elisha's salt had not been entirely dissolved. (2 
Kings ii.) 

At Jericho the Saviour wrought miracles, and abode in the 
house of Zaccheus. This man of little stature, who had to 
climb up into a sycamore tree to obtain a sight of the pass- 
ing Saviour, possessed a generous soul ; and when converted, 
exclaimed in the penitence of his heart, " Behold, Lord, the 
half of my goods I give to the poor ; and if I have taken 
anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him 
fourfold." (Luke xix.) And in this vicinity, " blind Barti- 
meus sat by the way«side begging," and crying out, as Jesus 
passed, "Jesus, Thou son of David, have mercy on me," 
whose prayer was heard, and whom mercy reached in the 
miraculous restoration of his long-lost vision. (Mark x.) 

In the morning, our servants, tents and luggage were sent 
back to Jerusalem ; we mounted and rode towards the hal- 
lowed Jordan, being distant about one mile and a half. As 
we approached the river, our sheik ordered us all to stop, 
until he could send one of his men to some eminence, to as- 
certain whether any robbers were to be seen in the vicinity. 
On his returning and reporting favourably, our sheik re- 
quired us to form into single file, and follow him and his 
men ; no one molested us, and we v^ere soon on the banks 
of the river. The water was high, and somewhat muddy ; 
yet 1 felt a strong inclination to bathe in the stream. De- 
scending the banks for the purpose of undressing, I slipped 
on the slimy margin, and fell flat upon my back, to the great 
amusement of the whole party, who enjoyed a hearty laugh 
at my expense. My companions all endeavoured to dissuade 
me from my purpose, the sheik and Arabs joining them in 
strong remonstrances, all alleging, that they could not swim, 
and could render me no assistance in ca'se of peril. I per- 
sisted, and the Arabs appeared so much alarmed for my 
safety as to be ready to take hold of me and deter me by 
force ; but I went into the water and swam about for a short 



JORDAN EVENTS ON ITS BANKS. 133 

time, to the amazement of all ; the swiftness of the current 
carrying me rather farther than I had expected. 

Jordan is the principal river which waters Palestine. It 
appears to be about one hundred feet broad at the place which 
we visited, and the banks about ten or twelve feet high. The 
whole of the plain, from the mountains of Judea on the west 
to those of Arabia on the east, may be termed the vale of 
Jordan, is about ten miles broad, and through the middle of 
this plain the river flows. The Jordan runs in another, still 
lower plain. Close thickets line the banks all along the edge 
of the stream, which are calculated to form ample shelter for 
wild beasts. The overflowing of the river is said to be in 
March, and is beautifully alluded to by the prophet, when he 
says, "Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swell- 
ing of Jordan." (Jer. xlix.) 

Vast multitudes of pilgrims, mostly of the Greek church, 
under the protection of the Turkish governor of Jerusalem, 
and a good military escort, annually visit the Jordan, for the 
purpose of bathing in its swelling flood, in the vain expecta- 
tion of washing away their sins in its fancied sacred waters. 
But, what renders this river more interesting to the intelli- 
gent and devout reader of the Bible, is the association in the 
mind, of the many striking events which took place in its 
flowing stream, and upon its lofty banks. Here, "over right 
against Jericho," God magnified his glorious majesty before 
Joshua and all the people of Israel, in causing the waters of 
this rapid, and, at the time, swollen river, to stand up as a 
wall, opening a dry channel, through which the hosts of the 
Lord passed over as on dry ground. (Josh, iii.) Here the 
Baptist and forerunner of the Lord Jesus, assembled the vast 
multitudes, "Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region 
round about Jordan," (Matt, iii.) to whom he administered 
the baptism of repentance; and to whom he preached Christ 
in strong and sublime strains, when he declared, " I indeed 
baptize you with water unto repentance : but he that cometh 
after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to 
bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with 
fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge 
his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner ; but will burn 
up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matt, iii.) Here, 
when Jesus himself was baptized of John, " lo, the heavens 
were opened unto him, and he saw the spirit of God descend- 
ing like a dove, and lighting upon him : and lo, a voice from 
heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased." (Matt, iii.) 

12 



134 DEAD SEA BUOYAiSrCY OF THE WATER. 

From the river Jordan we rode over plains of sand direct 
to the Dead Sea. Upon our arrival at the sea, I proposed 
trying the reported buoyancy of the water by a bath ; but 
my companions strenulously objected, telling me, that I would 
experience a heating sensation on my skin which would last 
for several days. Upon my persisting to prepare for un- 
dressing, they informed me, that if I made the attempt they 
would not wait for me ; and they actually rode off, thus com- 
pelling me to desist, or take the only alternative of being left 
alone. 1 then endeavoured to hire one of the Arabs to go in ; 
but no price could tempt them to the undertaking. The 
water of this sea was as motionless as a lake of molten lead, 
appeared clear, and to the taste was extremely nauseous, re- 
sembling that of a mixture of Glauber salts and senna. 

The Dead Sea, called also the Salt Sea, Sea of the Plain, 
Asphaltic Lake, the Lake Asphaltites, receives all the waters 
of the Jordan, the brooks Arnon and Jabbak, and others, 
from the neighbouring mountains. It is bounded at various 
points by ranges of high and barren mountains. Its extent 
has been variously estimated ; but the probable length is 
about fifty miles, and its average breadth about eight miles. 
It has no visible issue, yet does not overflow, because the 
evaporatipn from its surface compensates for all its influxes. 
Ancient writers have ascribed extraordinary properties to 
the water of this lake; it has been stated, that fish will not 
live in it, and that birds, in attempting to skim over it, have 
been destroyed. But these statements are not wholly cor- 
rect. It is true, that fish and other living creatures are not 
to be found in its waters; but birds have been frequently 
seen on its banks, skimming its surface in great numbers, to 
which I was myself also an eye-witness. 

What is said, however, about the buoyancy of the waters 
of the Dead Sea, is certainly correct. The specific gravity 
of fresh water being 1000; that of the Dead Sea is 1,211. 
A person attempting to swim will find it very difficult to 
keep the limbs sufficiently immersed, as is abundantly esta- 
blished by the testimony of numerous travellers who have 
personally made the experiment. The body will float like 
a cork without any difficulty ; and persons unable to swim 
have been known to tvalh in the water or float upon its 
surface with perfect safety over its greatest depths ; and a 
horse, in swimming, unless constantly using his limbs, will 
be very apt to turn over on his side, as travellers have 
testified. 

The southern shore of this sea abounds in nitre and sul- 



SODOM AND GOMORRAH SANTA SABA. 135 

phur, in considerable quantities of asphaltum, and other com- 
bustible materials; and it is generally admitted by travellers, 
that that part of the sea embraces the ancient sites of Sodom 
and Gomorrah. It was an easy thing, then, for the Almighty 
to employ such immense masses of inflammatory matter as 
abound in the immediate vicinity of the sites of those guilty 
cities, not only upon the surface of the mountains around, but 
in subterranean abundance under the very foundations of the 
houses, to execute his vengeance upon the workers of iniquity. 
The elements of destruction were already there, and the fire 
of heaven alone was wanting to ignite the mass. " Then the 
Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and 
fire from the Lord out of heaven ; and he overthrew those 
cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, 
and that which grew upon the ground. And lo, the smoke 
of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace." (Gen. xix.) 

We rode along the shore of the sea until we came to the 
mountains, which we ascended to their summit, from which 
we had an extended view over the Dead Sea. We then rode 
on over hill and dale, on our way to Santa Saba, passing 
shepherds and their flocks, and their villages, consisting ot 
tents surrounding a hollow square, at one of which several 
of the inhabitants invited our sheik to partake in company 
with their own sheik of their hospitality, which invitation, 
after a long parley, was accepted. We crossed a rough, 
hilly country, descended a ravine, where the brook Kedron 
passes from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, and finally reached 
the Greek Convent of Santa Saba. We were met at the 
gate by some of the inmates, and conducted down several 
flights of stone steps, when we came to a large room, well- 
furnished with carpets, a divan all around, &c. Here we 
were accommodated with a good supper, comfortable lodg- 
ings, and a good breakfast in the morning. We were better 
used here than at any other convent which we had visited. 
No special charge is made for accommodation at these con- 
vents, but donations are always expected from travellers; 
and as we had made a practice of paying according to our 
fare, we here felt bound to give the largest donation which we 
had any where tendered. 

Santa Saba is evidently the largest of the Greek convents 
in Palestine. It consists of a succession of buildings, rising 
one from the other in terraces, on the side of a steep and lofty 
mountain, to its very top, somewhat like an amphitheatre. 
It is altogether a gigantic and imposing structure. The inte- 
rior consists of a multitude of cells, chambers, stairways, and 



136 BETHLEHEM. 

halls of communication, together with an old and new church, 
and several chapels. The nucleus of this vast establishment 
is the cell said to have been occupied for many years by its 
founder, St. Saba. It is a rude and rough den in the natural 
rock ; and tradition affirms, that when the saint first ap- 
proached the cavern, he found a lion lying there, in all the 
majesty of the king of the forest. Upon his entrance into 
this cave, for the pious purpose of dedicating it to monastic 
vows, it is said that the lion rose and gently retired, yielding 
the preference to the saint and his devotions. The old church 
is a gloomy cavern, rather larger than the cells by which it 
is surrounded. The new church is a neat structure, built in 
modern style, and ornamented with many pictures of the 
saints. The chapels are nothing more than ancient cells 
fitted up for devotional purposes, and regarded by the monks 
as places of great sanctity. In one of these chapels, dedi- 
cated to John of Damascus, and in a grotto behind an iron 
grating, was a large pile of human skulls and bones, said to 
be the remains of some twelve or fourteen thousand hermits, 
slain by the Turks. 

We left the convent for Bethlehem, travelling over a very 
rough and stony road, over hill and dale, and passing a num- 
ber of excavations in the rocks, which had the appearance of 
being receptacles for rain-water. From an elevated position 
we had a fine prospect, and a delightful view of Jerusalem, 
Bethlehem, and the surrounding country. As we approached 
the town, we passed through a narrow valley of rich and fer- 
tile land, then commenced winding the hill on which Bethle- 
hem stands, and entered the town near the convent. My 
party had rode on before me, and had entered the town, hav- 
ing the guide with them. I entered the street alone, and, not 
noticing the convent, passed on nearly through the town 
before I discovered my error. It was useless to inquire, as 
no one could understand my language, and I continued wan- 
dering about until an Arab boy approached me, saying some- 
thing which I could not understand, and at the same time 
pointing in the direction of the convent. I followed him, and 
he took me directly to the place, where I found my company 
upon the point of sending in search of me. 

Bethlehem is built upon a ridge considerably elevated. 
The town is not large, and the population has been variously 
estimated from three hundred to three thousand ; the first 
much below the truth, and the latter estimate certainly much 
too high. The inhabitants all profess to be Christians, Ibra- 
him Pacha, during the insurrection of 1834, having expelled 



CONVENT OF THE NATIVITY. 137 

the Mohammedan population. The houses are built of lime- 
stone ; but many of them are in a ruinous state, and uninha- 
bited. The streets are narrow and rough. 

The Convent of the Nativity, as it is called, resembles a 
fortress more than a religious establishment. It was built by 
the Empress Helena, on the spot made sacred by the Saviour's 
birth ; is a large and irregular edifice, but remains in an un- 
finished condition. The church would have been a most 
magnificent structure, had it been completed agreeably to the 
original intentions of its founder. The main body of the 
church appears to be used merely as a hall or passage to the 
chapels of the Catholics, Greeks, and Armenians. Under 
the Greek Chapel is the Grotto of the Nativity, which is 
reached by a flight of steps. It is an irregular apartment, 
highly decorated with marble, gold lamps, &c. Three altars 
are in the apartment, under one of which the precise spot of 
the nativity is marked by a large silver star set with precious 
stones. Around the star is the following Latin inscription : 
" Hie de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est," here 
Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. Over this spot 
golden lamps are continually burning. At a short distance 
from the star, is the manger in which the new-born Jesus was 
placed. It is a block of white marble, is hollow, and is about 
four feet long, by about two deep. This splendid apartment, 
with all its gorgeous furniture, looks like any thing else than 
the rough stable and uncouth manger described in the Bible, 
as the first earthly residence of the meek and humble Son of 
God. 

It is difficult at this late period to identify the precise spots 
where occurred so many interesting events, as are connected 
with the history of Bethlehem ; yet no doubt need exist as it 
regards the identity of the site of the town itself. So that the 
mind of the Christian may delight to associate all those 
endearing recollections of events which here occurred, so 
momentous in themselves, and so full of thrilling interest to 
the whole world. " But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though 
thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee 
shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel ; 
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." 
(Micah V.) 

In a valley, about a mile from the town, the spot is pointed 
out in the plain, where the announcement was made by the 
angels to the shepherds, that a Saviour was born in Bethle- 
hem. *' Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a 
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke ii.) And over the 

12* 



138 Rachel's tomb— monastery of st. elias. 

same plains, were heard the triumphant shout of the heavenly 
host, and their rapturous song of praise, when " suddenly 
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, 
praising God, and saying. Glory to God in the highest, and 
on earth peace, good-will toward men." (Luke ii.) 

Among other sacred relics, superstitiously reverenced and 
carefully preserved by the monks, is the withered hand of an 
infant, which they affirm belonged to one of the infants slain 
by the order of Herod, when that blood-thirsty tyrant aimed 
at the destruction of the infant Redeemer I They also exhibit 
a pile of skulls and bones, which they affirm to be the remains 
of the numerous innocents slain under the cruel edict of that 
monster in human form. " Then was fulfilled that which was 
spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was a 
voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, 
Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comfort- 
ed, because they are not." (Matt, ii.) 

The well from which David's brave men procured water 
for the gratification of their leader, and at so much imminent 
peril to themselves, and which David afterwards poured out 
upon the ground, as an offering to the Lord, is pointed out in 
a valley north of the town, not far from the road leading to 
Jerusalem. 

"We left 'Bethlehem for Jerusalem. Descending the hill on 
which the town stands, we came to a narrow valley or ravine, 
and then ascending another hill, the road being merely a 
rough, stony path, the first object of interest which presented 
itself was Rachel's tomb. It is a large building, surmounted 
with a white dome, and contains a high oblong monument, 
built of brick and stuccoed. When Jacob was on his journey 
from Sychem to Hebron, Rachel died, and was buried near 
Bethlehem. (Gen. xxxv.) And this is about all we know 
concerning the matter ; this may and may not be the spot 
■where the remains were deposited. The next object of note 
was the Greek Monastery of St. Elias, which we reached in 
about an hour. It is a large stone building, and stands on an 
eminence, and commands a complete view of Bethlehem. A 
number of workmen were employed in making repairs. From 
this place to Jerusalem we had the broadest and best road of 
any over which we had travelled in all Palestine. 

We entered Jerusalem by the Bethlehem Gate, and pro- 
ceeded to our former lodgings in the Latin Convent. Here 
we were informed of two unfortunate Germans, who had just 
returned to Jerusalem, having been robbed but a few days be- 



RETURN TO JERUSALEM. 139 

fore on the same route which we had just travelled from the 
Dead Sea to Bethlehem, and stripped of every thing to their 
very skin. 

We again visited the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and all 
the interesting objects within its walls ; the Garden of Geth- 
semane; the Mount of Olives, and every other spot of interest 
about the Holy City. On the Mount of Olives 1 lingered fcjr 
a long time, and left it with great reluctance, my mind con- 
stantly dwelling upon the many events of interest which had 
there transpired. 

The necessary arrangements being made, we prepared 
for our final departure from Jerusalem. But an unex- 
pected difficulty occurred, attended with trouble and some 
delay. We had hired fifteen horses, and the necessary guides 
and drivers, to take our party and luggage to Beyrout, and 
had paid part of the price in advance, to enable the conductor 
to make the purchases requisite for the journey. But the 
tyrant of a Governor about this time needed horses to take 
himself and suite on a trip to the Dead Sea. Without scruple, 
our horses were pressed for the service, and, doubtless, ac- 
cording to custom in such cases, without the prospect of com- 
pensation to the owner. The owner refusing to give the 
horses up, was instantly cast into prison by the officers of 
government. His friends immediately informed us of what 
had occurred, and begged us, with tears, to try and effect his 
release. I requested that the keys of the stable should be 
given to me, declaring that I would not give them up even to 
the Sultan, the Governor's master. We made application to 
the English consul for his interference, who promptly sent his 
janizary to the Governor, with a complaint in our behalf; but 
without success. It was then recommended, that we should 
go in a body to the Governor, and present our complaint in 
person. Accordingly, we proceeded in company to the Gover- 
nor's palace, said to be the same building occupied by Pon- 
tius Pilate. Some of our party were very cowardly on all 
occasions, and trembled at the very thought of approaching 
an Eastern tyrant, especially on business like that before us. 
To dissipate their foolish apprehensions, and stimulate them 
with courage, as well as to display my own prowess, (for they 
had taken the impression that I was imprudently bold and 
fool-hardy,) I exhibited my pistols, told them that they were 
well charged, and that if our application were refused, 1 would 
have the gratification of putting at least one petty tyrant out 
of the way of future harm. They, supposing me to be in 
earnest, manifested much alarm at my rashness, and begged 



140 SUCCESSFUL AUDIENCE. 

me not to think of such a rash act, assuring me, that it would 
only insure the immediate death of the whole party, insisted 
that they would go no further unless I would agree to relin- 
quish my design. I promised, that to gratify them, I would 
not, at the present interview, make any attempt on the ty- 
rant's life. 

We found the Governor in a large audience chamber, seat- 
ed on his splendid divan, and surrounded by many Turkish 
officers, and allended by numerous servants, some handing 
him coffee, others pipes with stems seven or eight feet long, 
and others again employed in arranging his cloak upon his 
shoulders, which he seemed purposely to let fall off as often 
as possible, as if merely to keep his many useless servants 
constantly in employment about something. He was a good- 
looking man ; received us very graciously, directing us to be 
seated, and ordering coffee and pipes to be served us. After 
sipping coffee and smoking our pipes a while, the negotiation 
commenced, through interpreters in French and Arabic, and 
lasted for about an hour and a half. For some time the issue 
seemed doubtful, but finally we gained our point; an order 
was issued for the release of our guide and his horses, and we 
were pronounced "a fine set of English gentlemen." 

We attributed our success to the fact of our being an Eng- 
lish company, which was the case, excepting a French gen- 
tleman and myself. The Turkish Government, under which 
the Governor holds his office, and the Pacha of Egypt, had 
recently been at war. Had it not been for the interference 
of the British Government, it is generally supposed that the 
Pacha's arms would have completely demolished the Sultan. 
Besides, the Governor knew that we were bound for Constan- 
tinople, and he doubtless feared lest we might tell tales to the 
Sultan his master. We have here, in this occurrence, but a 
mere item in the oppressions which the people of the East are 
compelled to endure under the tyranny of their petty rulers. 

Previously to our final departure from the convent, the su- 
perior handed each of us a certificate in Latin of our having 
faithfully performed the usual duties of good pilgrims to the 
holy city and sacred places adjacent. This was quite unex- 
pected to us. not having so much as even heard of the prac- 
tice of giving out such certificates. It is of no importance 
in itself, but as an item of curiosity to the reader, it is here 
inserted, with a translation. 



riLGKIM S CERTIFICATE. 



141 



" IN DEI NOMINE, AMEN. 

Omnibus, et singulis has presentes litteras inspecturis, lec- 
turis, vel legi audituris fidem, notumque facimus, Nos infra- 
scripti, Gustos TerrsB Sanctae, Dominum C. G. Ricketts, M. S., 
in suo itinere Jerusalem pervenisse die 8 Mart. 1842; inde 
subsequentibus diebus praBcipua sancluaria, in quibus mundi 
Salvator suum populum dilectum, imo et totius humani gene- 
ris massam damnatam, a miserabili dcemonum potestate mise- 
ricorditer salvavil; utpote Calvarium, ubi cruci afRxus, devicta 
morte, coeli januas nobis aperuit ; Sepulchrum, ubi sacrosanc- 
tum ejus corpus reconditum triduo ante suam gloriosissimam 
resurrectionem quievit, ac tandem ea omnia sacra Palestinse 
loca gressibus Domini, ac beatissimss ejus Matris consecrata, a 
religiosis nostris, et peregrinis visitari solita, pie, ac devote 
visitasse. 

In quorum fidem has manu nostra subscriptas et sigillo 
officii nostri munitas expediri mandavimus. 

Datis Jerusalem, ex hoc nostro venerabili Convenlu S. Sal- 
vatoris, die 14 Mart., 1842. 




Fr. Cherubrius Mc a Cora, 

Terra Sanctce, Custos. 
De mandate rendmi in Christo Patris. 

Fr. Joann. Beystiter a Mun, 

TerrcB SanctcB SecretariiisP 

{^Translation.) 
in the name of god, amen. 
To all and every one who shall inspect, read, or hear read, 
these our present letters : 



142 pilgrijml's certificate. 

We, the undersigned, Guardian of the Holy Land, make 
known and certify, that Sir C. G. Ricketts, arrived on his 
journey at Jerusalem 8th March, 1842 ; that for several days 
following he most piously and devoutly visited, in an especial 
manner, the sacred places, where the Saviour of the world, 
by his sufferings, mercifully delivered his own beloved people, 
and indeed the ruined mass of the human race, from the de- 
structive power of the devil, viz. : Calvary, where, being 
affixed to the cross, and suffering death, he opened the gates 
of heaven to us; the Sepulchre, where his most sacred body 
lay reposing for three days before his glorious resurrection; 
and also all the holy places in Palestine consecrated by the 
footsteps of the Lord, and his most happy Mother, which are 
accustomed to be visited by our religious order, and stran- 
gers. 

In testimony of which we have subscribed our own hand, 
and ordered the seal of our office to be affixed. 

Given at Jerusalem, from this our venerable Convent of 
the Holy Saviour, 14th March, 1842. 

Brother Cher. Mc. a Cora, 
Guardian of the Holy Land, 

Given by command, in the private office of the father, 

Fk. J. Beystiter, a M., 

Secretary of the Holy Land. 



CHAPTER X. 

Departure from Jerusalem — Jacob's Well — Joseph's Tomb — Naplous, 
the ancient Schechem — Samaria — Prison of John the Baptist — - 
Herod's Palace — Poor Accommodations — Mount Carmel — Gilboa — 
Hermon — Tabor — Nazareth — Church of the Annunciation — Joseph's 
Workshop — Synagogue — Pleasing Reflections — Cana of Galilee — Hot 
Springs — -Tiberias — Sea of Tiberias — Magdala — Bethsaida — Chorazin 
— Genesareth — Capernaum — Reflections — Caipha — Visit to Mount 
Carmel — Plain of Jezreel — The Convent — St. Jean d'Acre — Bloody 
and Destructive Sieges — Solomon's Cisterns. 

The next morning we left Jerusalem, passing out at the 
Damascus Gate, and, as we rode on, I frequently turned in 
my saddle to take a last look of the receding city, and the 
many interesting objects in its immediate vicinity. During 
the day we passed many ancient ruins, of which we knew 
nothing, and in the evening arrived at an Arab village, where 
Andrew had procured a house for our night's accommodation, 
(or rather a stable, for it contained horses,) which proved to 
be a miserable place for lodging. We slept on a stone plat- 
form, raised some five or six feet above the ground, with our 
mattresses under us. We spent a very uncomfortable night. 
In the morning we ate our breakfast out of the town, on a 
rising piece of ground, surrounded by at least half of the in- 
habitants of the village, looking on with intense curiosity. 
After we had finished we gave them the remnants, for which 
they scrambled like so many dogs eager to catch a bone. 
Until noon we had a very rough road to travel, when we en- 
tered a valley of tolerably good land, where we saw many- 
women and children picking tares out of the wheat-fields. 
We were shown, at a distance, the mountain where, it is said, 
Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, while the armies of 
Israel pursued the fleeing Amorites, whom the Lord had deli- 
vered into their hands. (Josh, x.) 

We were desirous of visiting Jacob's Well, and for this 
purpose took two guides with us from Cowara. In an hour 
or two we were passing along the side of Mount Gerizim, on 
the top of which was the tomb of an Arab saint, surmounted 
by a white dome. We passed by a well on the side of the 



144 JACOB S WELL JOSEPH S TOMB. 

mountain, and over some ancient ruins, and on the summit 
they brought us to what they called Jacob's Well. Near this 
place we saw some very extensive ruins, apparently of a large 
temple. Our party were divided in opinion respecting the 
identity of this well, principally because it was located on the 
top of the mountain, and difficult of access, when a good level 
road wound around its base. Our guides, however, asserted 
that they knew of no other, and strongly persisted in saying 
that this was generally considered the identical well of Jacob. 

If this, then, was Jacob's Well, here sat the divine Saviour, 
resting from the fatigue of his journey, while his disciples had 
gone to Sychar to purchase meat, when the interesting con- 
versation took place between him and the woman of Samaria, 
who had come to draw water. It was a conversation on the 
all important subject of the waters of everlasting life. With 
what thrilling interest did she listen to the gracious words 
which fell from his sacred lips, and what happy results were 
experienced by her and the multitudes which she afterwards 
brought with her from the city, who declared, " Now we be- 
lieve, not because of thy saying, for we have heard him our- 
selves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour 
of the wprld." (John iv.) 

Descending the mountain, we passed near the tomb of the 
patriarch Joseph, near the base of the mountain, along which 
were likewise many other tombs. That of the patriarch is a 
large white building, and is in the " parcel of a field" which 
Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, 
" for a hundred pieces of money." (Gen. xxxiii.) We are 
informed by the sacred historian, that the children of Israel, 
upon leaving Egypt, carried the bones of Joseph with them, 
and brought them into the land of Canaan, and buried them 
somewhere in this vicinity- It is possible that this is the 
very spot whe^re the patriarch was finally buried. 

As we passed along the valley leading to Naplous, on one 
side was the towering Gerizim, and on the other, Mount 
Ebai, called the mountains of Blessing and Cursing, because 
God commanded Joshua here to set up stones, and from the 
one blessings were pronounced to the obedient, and from the 
other curses were denounced against the rebellious. " Then 
Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount 
Ebal ; and all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their 
judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the 
priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the 
Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; 
half of them over against Mount Gerizim, and half of them 



NAPLOUS, THE ANCIENT SCIIECHEM. 145 

over against Mount Ebal ; as Moses the servant of the Lord 
had commanded before, that they should bless the people of 
Israel. And afterwards he read all the words of the law, the 
blessings and cursings according to all that is written in the 
book of the law." (Josh, viii.) 

On Mount Gerizim stood the Samaritan temple, the site of 
which it is difficult to determine; yet a mass of rubbish, the 
ruins of some prominent building of old, are to be seen, giving 
some indications of the probable spot. 

As we approached Naplous, the Schechem or Sychem of 
the Old, and the Sychar of the New Testament, the most ani- 
mating scene of the kind which we had witnessed in Palestine, 
was presented before us. A large multitude of people, dressed 
up in their best attire, all in high glee, were amusing them- 
selves in the suburbs of the town, some on swings, and others 
walking or lying about; men, women, and children, all ap- 
pearing to enjoy themselves in pleasing moods. It was evi- 
dently a holiday of some sort; and all seemed to be intent 
upon some kind of amusement. About a dozen boys from 
the crowd followed us for some distance, throwing stones at 
us for their amusement, some of which hit the mark with un- 
erring precision. I was in advance of our company, and as 
they first attacked me, I turned and pursued them a i'ew 
steps ; they retreated, and commenced battering at the rest 
of our cavalcade; the old men lying on the grass, laughing 
heartily at the boys' mischief. 

We passed through the town of Naplous, intending to take 
Samaria in our route. We had not advanced far before we 
came to a fork in the road, our guide with his men taking to 
the right, insisting that that was the correct course to Sa- 
maria, and inducing a part of our company to follow him; 
Andrew, our Greek servant, in whom I placed more confi- 
dence, whom I and the rest of the company followed, took 
the left road. The two parties soon lost sight of each other, 
supposing, that we would probably come together again at 
some point in the road not very distant. We rode through a 
valley, and passed several mills on a beautiful stream which 
flowed in our course. In the afternoon, towards sun-setting, 
we came in sight of the ruins of Sebaste, the ancient Samaria, 
situated upon a bold and elevated mountain. 

Here are the ruins of a church, built by the Empress He- 
lena in her pious zeal to preserve every relic of antiquity in 
the Holy Land. It is said to stand upon the site of the prison 
in which John the Baptist was beheaded. The place is 
guarded by the Arabs, and none but good Mussulmen are 

13 



146 SAjMATIIa — -PRISON OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

allowed to enter the sacred enclosure. The palace of Herod 
stood on a beautiful eminence, commanding an extensive 
view of the surrounding country. Some thirty-five or forty 
columns of this stupendous monument of injustice and cruelty, 
are still to be seen standing among a mass of ruins. Here 
the head of the forerunner of our blessed Lord was brought 
in a charger, dripping in its blood, and presented to the fair 
damsel who had won the prize by dancing in the presence of 
Herod and his "lords, and the high captains, and the chief 
estates of Galilee." What a spectacle for the sight of a de- 
licate young lady ! But Herod had sworn that she should 
be gratified in her requests, even to " the half of his king- 
dom ;" the bloody mandate was given, and that under a con- 
science writhing in agony at the unexpected demand; and 
the faithful and fearless preacher of righteousness, the stern 
and inflexible reprover of iniquity in high places, was imme- 
diately beheaded in the prison, sealing with his life's-blood 
the sacred truths of the law of God. (Mark vi.) 

It was in Samaria, that " Elisha, the man of God," re- 
sided, when the haughty " Naaman, captain of the host of 
the king of Syria," came to be healed of his leprosy ; and 
whom the prophet directed to " Go and wash in Jordan seven 
times ;" and who at first refused to follow the simple direc- 
tion, but was finally obliged to submit before he could be 
healed. (2 Kings v.) 

It was in Samaria, that the preaching of Philip produced 
such great results, in the conversion of many, so that, " great 
joy was in that city." It was here, that Simon, the sorcerer, 
was confuted by Peter, having offered the apostle money for 
the purchase of the gifts of the Holy Ghost; "thy money 
perish with thee ; thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in 
the bond of iniquity." (Acts viii.) 

We saw the ruins of several magnificent buildings, con- 
sisting of splendid colonnades, in part standing, but could 
obtain no satisfactory account of the structures to which they 
had been attached, nor the purposes for which they had been 
formerly erected. We strolled about among these ruins until 
near night, when we went in search of those of our party 
who had separated from us in the morning, in hopes of their 
arrival with our tents and provisions. After anxiously wait- 
ing until about nine o'clock, under the keenness of an appe- 
tite sharpened by a long and fatiguing day's ride, and a fast 
unbroken for many hours, we set about looking for a resting- 
place for the night, and for something to eat. We hired an 
old stone building, without floors, the best accommodations 



POOR ACCOMMODATIONS MOUNT CARMEL GILBOA. 147 

which Herod's once splendid capital could afford. All the 
provisions which could be obtained from the beggarly and 
starving inhabitants, ready as they seemed to be to serve us 
in expectation of being well remunerated, were a few eggs, 
and a little coarse Arab bread, hard, tough, and unpalatable 
in the extreme. We had to make the best of our circum- 
stances — eat what we could ; but as for sleep, none of us, ex- 
cepting Andrew, closed our eyes during the whole night : the 
hard stones for our bed, and tormented by scores of fleas, all 
efforts to repose comfortably for one moment, were com- 
pletely baffled. 

In the morning, as usual, we had difficulty in satisfying 
the demands made upon us for our slender accommodations. 
I candidly believe, that a donation of the largest purse would 
not satisfy an Arab for holding your horse for five minutes. 
At least half the town assembled around us presenting some 
demand or other for pretended services, each one seeming to 
use his best efforts to fleece us out of something. They were 
decidedly the best-featured people we had seen among the 
Arabs. Some of them were really handsome. 

We rode on during the forenoon, jaded and hungry, pass- 
ing several small villages, until, about noon, we arrived at 
Janeen, a town upon (he borders of Galilee. Here we 
stopped, and procured something for ourselves and horses. 
We had hoped to find all our company here, with our lug- 
gage; and, after waiting about an hour and a half, we con- 
cluded that they must have taken some other route. But just 
as we were giving up in despair, to our infinite joy, they made 
their appearance in the village, and were much disappointed, 
upon being informed that we had been at the ruins of Sa- 
maria, and that they could not have that satisfaction without 
retracing their steps. 

Leaving this place, we entered almost immediately the 
plains of Jezreel. In the course of the day we passed in 
sight of Mount Carmel, where the prophet Elijah prayed suc- 
cessfully for rain, in the presence of King Ahab, after hun- 
dreds of the prophets of Baal had been slain. (1 Kings xviii.) 
We also passed near the village of Endor, where the witch 
raised up Samuel, to the astonishment and dismay of Saul, 
the King of Israel ; where the disobedient king learned, from 
the ghost of Samuel, his own fearful doom : " to-morrow 
shalt thou and thy sons be with me ;" which was fully re- 
alized, for on the morrow he and his sons were all slain in 
battle. (1 Sam. xxviii.) Mount Gilboa was likewise passed 
in our route, where Saul and his three sons fell in that me- 



148 HERMON — TABOR NAZARETH. 

morable battle with the Philistines, referred to in that affect- 
ing lamentation of David: "Ye mountains of Gilboa, let 
there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor 
fields of offerings ; for there the shield of the mighty is vilely 
cast away." (2 Sam. i.) We passed also a village, said to be 
that of Deborah the prophetess ; and Mount Hermon, of which 
the pious Psalmist declares, "Behold, how good and how pleas- 
ant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity ! As the dew of 
Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of 
Zion ; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life 
for evermore." (Psalms cxxxiii.) The city of Nain was also 
in the vicinity of our route, where an affecting scene once 
occurred, in Christ's raising the widow's son, at the gates of 
the town, from the dead, in compassion to the weeping and 
disconsolate mother. He stopped the bier, and commanded 
the dead to rise; and his mandate was obeyed. (Luke vii.) 
We also passed Mount Tabor, said to be the scene of the Sa- 
viour's transfiguration, when Peter, and James, and John, 
were with him, beholding his glory, and when Peter exclaim- 
ed, in the rapture of his pious affections, " Lord, it is good 
for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make here three taber- 
nacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." 
(Matt, xvii.) And on this very spot, it is said, the monks have 
erected three altars, commemorative of that sublime occur- 
rence, and once a year they march in procession from Naza- 
reth to celebrate that glorious event in the Saviour's history. 

We rode on, in full anticipation of soon reaching Nazareth, 
the abode of Joseph and Mary, and of the Saviour himself 
during the greater part of his life on earth. Our anticipa- 
tions were, in a short time, fully realized. We arrived in 
Nazareth, put up at the convent, and made arrangements for 
visiting all the places of interest. 

Nazareth is situated in a valley, on rather an elevated site, 
and is surrounded by hills. The houses are generally while, 
and have a neat appearance. All the noted spots, relating to 
the history of the Saviour, are here, as in Jerusalem and 
other places in the Holy Land, duly honoured with buildings 
or other monuments, to mark the sacred localities. The 
Church of the Annunciation is within the walls of the con- 
vent, and is surpassed by none in Palestine, with the excep- 
tion of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, at Jerusalem. 
The walls and columns are covered with red damask. It 
contains two very fine organs. The house of Joseph and 
Mary, with its grottos, kitchen, chambers, &c., is under the 
principal altar. Two granite columns, in front of this altar, 



JOSEPH S WORKSHOP CANA OF GALILEE. 149 

are pointed out to designate the spots where stood the angel 
and the Virgin at the time of the annunciation. The work- 
shop, in which they say that Jesus wrought with Joseph, at 
the carpenter's trade, is near the convent ; also the syna- 
gogue in which Christ read the passage in Isaiah, " The 
spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me 
to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent rne to heal 
the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and 
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are 
bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord ;." (Luke iv.), 
which he applied to himself, giving the Jews so much offence 
as to drive ihem to desperation, and induce them to thrust 
him out of the city. Here he healed the man sick of the 
palsy, brought to him on a bed, when the multitude glorified 
God that such power was given to men. (Matt, ix.) " He 
did not many mighty works," however, in his own " city, be- 
cause of their unbelief." (Matt, xiii.) The monks also exhibit 
a large flat stone, about fifteen feet in diameter, and three 
high, which they affirm to be the table on which the Lord 
Jesus dined with his disciples, before and after his resurrec- 
tion. They pointed out to us a fountain in the city, from 
which they said that the Virgin Mary often carried water. 
Doubtless, had we been disposed to inquire, we might have 
been directed to numerous other places equally sacred ; but 
we felt no inclination to tax our faith in the identity of all the 
doubtful localities which might have been pointed out by the 
credulous and superstitious monks. It was sufficiently grati- 
fying to our feelings to realize the fact that we were sur- 
rounded by the same hills which echoed to the sweet accents 
of the Saviour's heavenly voice, imparting divine instruction, 
and speaking as never man spake ; that we were doubtless 
treading on the same spots marked by the frequent steps of 
Jesus, the son of God ; that we were gazing upon the same 
mountain scenery which often attracted his attention ; and 
that we were surrounded by the rural scenery which so fre- 
quently witnessed his holy devotions, his sublime miracles, 
and the heaven-born purity of all his walk and conversation. 
The next morning, early, we started for the Sea of Tibe- 
rias, or Galilee. In about an hour's ride we came to Cana 
of Galilee. Here Christ performed his first public miracle, 
turning the water into wine, at a wedding feast. (John ii.) 
Near the entrance to the town is a Greek church, said to be 
erected over the site occupied by the house where the miracle 
was performed. In this church the monks profess to have 
the identical jars which contained the water made wine ; and 

13* 



150 HOT SPRINGS — TIBEBIAS. 

near by is a fountain, from which we saw women carrying 
water, which is said to be the place from which the jars at the 
wedding were filled up to the brim, by the command of Christ 
to the servants! It was the largest and strongest spring we 
had seen in Palestine. In Cana of Gah'lee the noblenian 
from Capernaum met Christ, whose son lay at home sick, 
and at the point of death. The tender yearnings of a father's 
heart were strongly expressed in the urgent importunity of 
his request to the Saviour: "Sir, come down ere my child 
die." His faith in the declaration of Christ, "Thy son 
liveth," secured the blessing sought. (John iv.) 

On our way from Nazareth, we were shown the field in 
which it is affirmed the disciples on the Sabbath-day plucked 
the corn, as they passed through the ripening grain. (Matt, 
xii.) To their credit, however, they did not exhibit any grain 
of the crop of which the disciples eat. The Mount of Beati- 
tude, as they call it, was pointed out, where the Saviour 
preached his inimitable sermon on the mount, and the spot 
where, on his immediate descent, he healed the poor suppliant 
leper of his dreadful malady. (Matt. v. — viii.) Whether these 
localities are correctly given or not, it is certain that some- 
where in this vicinity these memorable occurrences took 
place. 

We arrived at Tiberias, and rode through the town to a 
large bath erected by Abraham Pacha over the hot springs 
in the vicinity ; and there, in some comfortable rooms, took 
up our abode. These springs are said to possess medicinal 
qualities ; the building over them is circular, with a dome, 
and contains a reservoir twenty feet in diameter, and six deep ; 
into this the Arabs were slipping from the sides like so many 
turtles, darkening the white and clear water with their swar- 
thy skins. I could not endure the heat of the air and water, 
which seemed to me to be nearly scalding, and I went to the 
open sea, and enjoyed the luxury of a bath in its cool waters. 
I then strolled along the shore until I came in sight of the 
southern extremity of the sea, where its waters enter the Jor- 
dan. Returning to our rooms at the bath, we found some 
Turkish officers, who claimed official preference, and we had 
to retire and pitch our tents on the sea-shore. 

Herod, the Tetrarch, built the city of Tiberias, named it 
after the Emperor, and endowed it with great advantages. 
Its convenient situation soon made it a considerable place, 
and it became the metropolis of Galilee. After the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, some of the most learned Jewish priests 
assembled and laid the foundations of an Academy, which 



SEA OF TIBERIAS. I5l 

afterwards became celebrated. In 1837, an earthquake de- 
stroyed nearly all the city, with about three thousand of its 
inhabitants. All that now renriains of the ancient city are 
some ruins about the miserable village which inherits the 
name of Tiberias. It is inhabited mostly by Jews, but con- 
tains many nominal Christians, who are Greek Catholics, 
and Mohammedans. The Catholics show a small church 
near the water, about thirty feet long by twenty wide, which 
they assert was formerly the house in which St. Peter resided. 
Once a year, on St. Peter's day, the monks come to worship 
in this church. At other times it is occupied by the Christians 
residing in the town. [[ this was really once the residence 
of Peter, then here it was that Jesus so miraculously raised 
Peter's wife's mother from a bed of sickness, to which she 
was confined with fever, who immediately set about minister- 
ing to the wants and comfort of her Lord and his disciples. 
(Matt, viii.) And here, in the same evening, many possessed 
with devils were brought to him by the multitudes around ; 
" and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all 
that were sick ; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken 
by Esaias the prophet, saying, himself took our infirmities, 
and bare our sickness." (Matt, viii.) It was here, too, that 
" a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will 
follow thee whithersoever thou goest ;" to whom Jesus re- 
plied, " The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have 
nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." 
(Matt, viii.) 

The Sea of Tiberias, or Galilee, is merely an expansion of 
the river Jordan, and appears to be some twelve or fourteen 
miles long, by six or seven wide. It was once the scene of 
a most bloody naval ensaa-ement between the Romans, under 
Vespasian, and the Jews, who had revolted during the admi- 
nistration of Agrippa. It was on the borders of this sea that 
Christ called the two disciples, Simon Peter and his brother 
Andrew, to leave their occupation of fishermen, and follow 
him ; and James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who, at the 
Saviour's call, immediately left their father, their nets, and 
promptly obeyed the heavenly summons (Matt, iv.) ; also 
several others of the apostles. Here, in this lake, was caught 
the miraculous draft of fishes, the sight of which so over- 
powered Peter, that " he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying. 
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke v.) 
Here, in a boat by the sea-side, Christ, on a certain occasion, 
taught the vast multitudes that thronged the shore, by the 
parable of the sower, and by many other interesting discourses 



152 MAGDALA BETHSAIDA CHORAZIN. 

concerning the fruitfulness of the word, and the nature of his 
kingdom. (Matt, xiii.) Here, in "the country of the Gerge- 
senes, met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the 
tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that 
way." He expelled the demons, they entered the herd of swine 
near by, when the " whole herd ran violently down a steep 
place into the sea, and perished in the waters." (Matt, viii.) 
In the vicinity of this sea, on the side of a mountain, the mul- 
titude of four thousand were fed, by the blessing of " seven 
loaves and a few little fishes." (^Matt. xv.) On these shores 
the Lord, after his resurrection, exhibited kimself to Peter 
and others of his disciples ; and, after dining on the fish which 
were broiled at the fire, administered to Peter that affectionate 
reproof for denying his Lord and Master, required of him a 
strong expression of the sincerity of his love; and then di- 
rected him, in a tender and forcible manner, to feed his sheep. 
(John xxi.) 

It was on the bosom of the Sea of Tiberias that the Lord Je- 
sus, when in the midst of a dreadful storm with his disciples in 
a small boat, and asleep in the stern, being aroused from his 
slumbers by his terrified companions, " arose and rebuked 
the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still : and the wind 
ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark iv.) On another 
occasion,' when the disciples were in a boat by themselves, 
and saw Jesus walking on the sea, Peter, at his Lord's per-, 
mission, imitated his Master for a time, but his faith failing, 
he began to sink, and to his suppliant cry, " Lord, save me," 
Jesus promptly responded, took him by the hand, and kindly 
led his trembling, fainting disciple in safety to the vessel. 
(Matt, xiv.) 

It was along the margin of this sea, that the Saviour com- 
menced preaching the glad tidings of salvation to the throng- 
ing multitudes who so frequently surrounded his sacred per- 
son, witnessing his stupendous miracles, and listening to the 
sounds of heavenly instruction which fell from his holy lips. 
Along these shores were situated Chorazin, Bethsaida, and 
Capernaum, where he had performed many wonderful works, 
exalting them in privileges to heaven, and for the abuse and 
neglect of which he denounced the heaviest judgments. 

Leaving Tiberias, we crossed the point of a mountain 
running down into the lake, and passed a small Mohammedan 
village which they call Magdol, and which is probably the 
Magdala into which Christ retired after he had fed the multi- 
tude of four thousand with the seven loaves and a few fishes. 
We the ncrossed a rich valley, in which were several small 



GENESARETH CAPERNAU3I. 153 

streams running into the sea. We passed the ruins of Beth- 
saida, the city of Peter, and Andrew, and Philip. Near 
Bethsaida the five thousand were fed from the five barley- 
loaves and two small fishes. (Luke ix.) Not far from this 
we visited the ruins of Chorazin, where we saw the remains 
of a large building, somewhat resembling a temple, but so 
much overgrown v^^ith high grass and covered with accumu- 
lated rubbish, that we found some difficulty in approaching 
sufficiently near to enable us to make any examination. We 
ascended the point of another mountain, which runs boldly to 
the lake, the road being cut in the solid rock, and so narrow 
that the least blunder would expose both the rider and his 
animal to imminent peril. From this point we had a fine 
view of the whole Lake or Sea of Galilee, from its northern 
extremity, where the Jordan comes down from among the 
mountains and enters the lake, to its southern limit, where 
the river passes out, rolling on to the Dead Sea, but no boat 
or craft of any description appeared upon its bosom. The 
plains of Genesareth were spread out before us, a wild and 
luxuriant waste, entirely uncultivated, as well as every other 
spot near these once fertile shores. Talhoun, the supposed 
site of Capernaum, was in view, the ruins of which extend 
along the shore for some distance. 

In Capernaum dwelt the pious centurion, whose faith the 
•Saviour so strongly commended, when he graciously healed 
his servant lying sick of the palsy, at the earnest request 
and urgent importunity of that believing Gentile. (Malt, viii.) 
It was in that city, where the crowd became so great around 
the house in which Christ was seated with his disciples, as to 
induce some to let down a man sick with the palsy, through 
the roof, in order that he might be healed, the miraculous 
cure of whom caused such amazement among the thronging 
multitude. (Mark ii.) It was at Capernaum, when required 
to pay tribute, Christ sent Peter to the sea with directions to 
cast a hook, with the assurance, that in the moulh of the first 
fish caught, he would find the money sufficient to pay the de- 
mand. (Matt, xvii.) In the same place, he took a little child, 
and having placed it in the midst of the company, declared 
that solemn truth, " Verily I say unto you, except ye be 
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter 
into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt, xviii.) And it was in 
Capernaum, Christ uttered that promise so interesting to his 
church in all ages, " Where two or three are gathered 
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." 
(Matt, xviii.) 



154 REFLECTIONS CAIPHA. 

And what a fearful doom did the Son of God at last pro- 
nounce against the inhabitants of some of these highly privi- 
leged cities ! " Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein 
most of his mighty works were done, because they repented 
not. Wo unto thee, Chorazin ! wo unto thee, Bethsaida ! for 
if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done 
in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in 
sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more 
tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than 
for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto 
heaven, shalt be brought down to hell ; for if the mighty 
works which have been done in thee, had been done in So- 
dom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto 
you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, 
in the day of judgment, than for thee." (Matt, xi.) 

While gazing upon the various objects around me, my 
mind was busily employed in contemplating these and other 
deeply interesting occurrences which had transpired upon 
these shores, upon the bosom of the lake, and on the sides of 
the surrounding mountains; the miracles upon the land and 
upon the water ; the calling of the apostles ; the preaching 
of the Saviour; his wanderings up and down throughout all 
the region then in the scope of my vision, doing good 
wherever he went, by healing the sick, comforting the af- 
flicted, relieving the possessed, and proclaiming a free salva- 
tion to the lost and guilty, without money and without price. 
Musing upon these subjects, with the ruins and desolations of 
those very cities before me, my feelings were such as I can- 
not describe. 

We returned to Nazareth, and doubtless over the very road 
so frequently travelled by Christ and his disciples ; and remain- 
ed over night at the convent. In the morning we proceeded on 
our way, for the first two or three hours over a very rough 
and hilly road, when we entered a beautifully rolling and 
fertile country, covered in some places with small timber, 
the first I had seen growing in any quantity in the Holy 
Land. The fruit trees, such as olives and figs, were in full 
bloom, yielding a most delightful fragrance. In the course 
of two or three hours further, we came in sight of the Medi- 
terranean Sea. A beautiful prospect met the eye ; the great 
plain of Acre; the circular shore extending to Caipha and 
Mount Carmel ; and in the distance, on an extreme point jut- 
ting out into the sea, the ancient Ptolemais, St. Jean d'Acre. 
We reached Caipha, after riding over extensive sandy plains. 
This town is situated near the sea, and is walled all around. 



1 



VISIT TO MOUNT CAEMEL FLA IN OF JEZREEL. 155 

Passing through it without dismounting, and after ascending 
for about an hour, we arrived at the top of Mount Carmel, 
and put up at the convent. 

Mount Carmel is a promontory upon the coast of Palestine, 
and is the only one of any note. An abundance of timber, 
grass, and flowers, were growing in great luxuriance on all 
sides, rendering it one of the most agreeable places in the 
world. The view from its summit was grand in the extreme. 
The city of Acre lay in the distance; the mountains of Leba- 
non were in sight ; and on the shores of the Mediterranean 
the ruins of the city of Cesarea were stretched out before us, 
once the residence of Cornelius, the centurion, to whom, and 
the company assembled at his house, Peter preached the 
gospel with so much power and success, commencing with 
the text, "God is no respecter of persons," (Acts x.); the 
place also in which Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temper- 
ance, and judgment to come," until "Felix trembled" under 
the lashings of a guilty conscience, (Acts xxiv.) ; and where 
the haughty and pompous Agrippa, under the powerful 
preaching of the same apostle, was constrained to acknow- 
ledge, " Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." 
(Acts xxvi.) 

The plain of Jezreel, which lay in distant view, was also a 
field for much interesting contemplation. Here the prophet 
Elijah ran before the chariot of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel, 
after the transactions of that memorable day upon Carmel, 
when numbers of Baal's prophets had been confounded under 
the triumphant displays of divine power and glory, and after- 
wards put to death, not one having been permitted to escape; 
and the prayers of the man of God had been so signally an- 
swered in the sudden and certain appearance of an abundance 
of rain : " And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah ; and he 
girded up his loins, and ran" through this very plain " before 
Ahab" in his rattling chariot even " to the entrance of Jez- 
reel." (1 Kings xviii.) It was in this plain, that Barak, with 
ten thousand men, put to flight Sisera, and all his chariots. 
" And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and 
all his host, with the edge of the sword, before Barak; so 
that Sisera lighted down off" his chariot, and fled away on his 
feet." (Jud. iv.) In this plain, Josiah, King of Judah, was 
slain, while engaged in battle with Pharaoh Nechoh, King of 
Egypt, during a fierce and bloody contest. (2 Kings xxiii.) 

The convent upon Mount Carmel is worthy, in every sense, 
of the magnificent position which it occupies. The monks 
are the most hospitable, courteous, obliging, and social men 



156 THE CONVENT ST. JEAN L) ACRE. 

of their order, that I had met with any where in my travels; 
and the accommodations in the convent were of ihe highest 
order. Our supper and breakfast were composed of every 
good thing desirable, and were served in the neatest and best 
manner; and our lodging-rooms were furnished with beds, 
bedsteads, dressing-tables, &c. of the best French style. 
Before we left they showed us the Grotto of Elijah, in the 
interior of the convent. 

We descended the mountain, passed again through Caipha, 
and rode along the sea-shore, noticing several wrecked ves- 
sels, in which many a helpless mariner had probably found a 
watery grave ; and then we entered the gates of St. Jean 
d'Acre. After riding through several narrow streets, roughly 
paved, and rendered dark and gloomy by the stone arches 
thrown across them, some of which were so low as to incom- 
mode our passing under them, in one instance knocking off 
my hat, we reached the convent, where we took up our tem- 
porary abode while in the place. 

This town has witnessed many a bloody siege, and for 
many years was considered impregnable. Near the city is 
a mount, called " Richard Cceur de Lion," on the summit of 
which Napoleon said to Murat, as he pointed to the city, "The 
fate of the East depends upon yonder petty town." Eight 
successive times his veteran troops were led to the assault, 
and eleven times they withstood the desperate sallies of the 
Mamelukes. Sir Sidney Smith came to aid the besieged, and 
bloody work was the result. The Pacha sat in his palace, 
surrounded by heaps of decapitated heads, paying, in ready 
money, for every French head brought to his accumulating 
and bloody piles. Napoleon was defeated. Since that me- 
morable event, Abdallah Pacha sustained a long and bloody 
siege against the forces of Ibrahim Pacha. The city was 
eventually pillaged, and large portions of it were destroyed 
by fire. Only a few months before our arrival, the British, 
with their steamers and other vessels of war, battered the 
town and took it in an incredible short space of time. Ibra- 
him Pacha could not withstand such powerful and effective 
engines of war. This put an immediate termination to the 
war in the East. It is thought by many, that if the British 
had not interfered, the Pacha of Egypt would soon have 
made himself master of all the Turkish Empire. We took a 
walk through the city, endeavouring to'examine the sites of 
the ruins of the late destructive bombardment, where exten- 
sive repairs were in progress; but our further advance was 
unexpectedly arrested by the interference of some Turkish 
soldiers on guard, and we had to retire to our lodgings. 



I 



Solomon's cisterns. ] 57 

The external view of St. Jean d'Acre, the ancient Ptole- 
mais, is the only one worth beholding. The interior consists 
of narrow, dirty lanes, with wretched shops, and as wretched 
inhabitants. It is the most important port on the coast, and 
is considered the key of Palestine. In the town are some 
remains of former magnificence. The Turkish mosque is a 
very sumptuous building. A great quantity of cotton is ex- 
ported from the place. The country abounds in cattle, corn, 
olives, and linseed. 

Leaving Acre, our road lay through extensive, rich plains, 
in a great measure uncultivated, on account of the oppression 
of the government. The inhabitants have no encouragement 
to engage in the pursuits of agriculture. The whole of this 
rich plain is at the option of any who may choose to take 
possession; yet hundreds prefer a precarious subsistence in 
any other pursuit. If any small patches are cultivated, the 
tax-gatherer comes and looks at the products, takes no fixed 
proportion, but as much as the government needs. He never 
considers how much he shall take, but how little he shall 
leave to reward the labourer. 

In about seven hours' ride we came to Solomon's Cisterns, 
which are supposed to have been built by King Solomon, in 
payment for the materials furnished by Hiram, King of Tyre, 
for the building of the temple at Jerusalem. We examined 
these cisterns very closely, and were constrained to believe 
that they were erected long after the time of Solomon. The 
largest is at least sixty feet in diameter, and rises some fifteen 
or twenty feet above ground. We could discover no place 
by which the water could enter, and we conjectured that these 
cisterns were supplied, in some manner, from below, as they 
were full, and were flowing over from the top in strong 
streams, forming a considerable body of running water, 
which was, no doubt, originally conveyed by an aqueduct, 
the ruins of which are still visible, to ancient Tyre. 

We had now passed about two miles beyond the boundaries 
of the land of Palestine, and were within the narrow domain 
of the ancient Phoenice, and distant about three miles from 
Sur, the modern Tyre. Although I had seen much of the 
Holy Land, and had left much unseen, yet I had reason to 
be thankful to a kind Providence for the success which had 
attended all my efforts; for my preservation in seasons of 
difficulty and peril ; and I felt disposed to be satisfied with 
what I had seen, and the pleasant associations and reflections 
experienced at almost every stage of my progress. 

14 



CHAPTER XI. 

Sur, the ancient Tyre — Hiram — Destruction of Tyre — Gazelles — Jack- 
alls — Sarepta — Sidon — Jonas the Prophet — Beyrout — American 
Missionaries — Mount Lebanon — Face of Syria — Syrians — Cyprus — 
Rhodes — Fortifications — Streets and Buildings — Harbours — Stupen- 
dous Statue — Patmos — Grotto of St. John — Revelations — Samos — 
Scio — Fate of Scio — Smyrna — One of the Seven Churches — Archi- 
pelago 

We rode on from the cisterns to Sur, the ancient Tyre. 
This is supposed to be the same place where Hiram, the King 
of Tyre, flourished, who supplied Solomon with such an 
abundance of materials for building the Temple at Jerusalem, 
such as cedar and fir timber from the mountains of Lebanon. 
Solomon kept ten thousand men at work in those mountains, 
with whom the labourers of Hiram wrought in preparing the 
timber and conveying it to Tyre, whence it was taken by 
water in floats or rafts to Solomon ; for which services Hiram 
received, annually, twenty thousand measures of wheat and 
twenty measures of pure oil. From this place Solomon also 
obtained some excellent workmen to aid in rearing the temple. 
(1. Kings V.) 

The coasts of Tyre and Sidon were visited by the Lord 
Jesus. Here he was followed by a woman of Canaan, cry- 
ing after him and saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, 
thou son of David ; my daughter is grievously vexed with a 
devil." The Saviour at first, apparently, took no notice of 
her. When he at last replied to her importunity, " It is not 
meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs," her 
faith rose over every obstacle : " Truth; Lord ; yet the dogs 
eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Her 
faith was pronounced great, and she obtained her request; 
her daughter was healed. (Matt, xv.) 

In the time of the Apostle Paul, numerous believers in the 
Christian faith were in Tyre, and after-wards the church in 
that place became very celebrated. It produced a great num- 
ber of martyrs for the Christian cause, and several illustrious 
bishops. 



DESTRUCTION OF TYRE — GAZELLES SAREPTA. 159 

Siir, or Tyre, is now a miserable village, containing, appa- 
rently, about three thousand or four thousand inhabitants. 
We had a full view of the place, as it lies very low ; but we 
did not enter the town on account of the plague, which was 
reported to be raging in the place at that tinne. It is a com- 
plete scene of desolation, the cause of which the prophet of 
the Old Testament has fully assigned. " Who hath taken 
this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose mer- 
chants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the 
earth? The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride 
of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of 
the earth." (Isaiah xxiii.) 

From Tyre we passed over sandy plains, crossed a rich, 
but uncultivated, tract of country, and then came to a moun- 
tainous region ; here our road lay over rocks and precipices 
for some considerable distance. We saw several droves of 
gazelles on our route, a beautiful little animal, very much 
resembling the fawn of the American deer. These animals 
roam over these mountains and plains in large herds, are 
very wild, and difficult to be approached. Several of our 
company pursued them at different times, but without success. 
We also saw many jackalls. 

We passed the ruins of what is supposed to be ancient 
Zarephath of the Old, or Sarepta of the New Testament. 
Here Elijah found the widow-woman gathering sticks outside 
the city, with which to make a fire to bake her last cake of 
bread ; for, in the extremity of the famine, she was preparing 
to meet death for herself and son. But " the barrel of meal 
wasted not, neither did the cruise of oil fail, according to the 
word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah," And the mi- 
raculous restoration of her dead son to life by the interposi- 
tion of the man of God, confirmed and established her faith, 
when she said, " Now, by this I know that thou art a man of 
God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth." 
(1 Kings xviii.) 

From Sarepta we passed on to Saida, the ancient Sidon ; 
and after riding through several narrow, rough, and dirty 
streets, arched over in some places, and in others covered 
with mats to keep out the sun, we arrived at the convent. 
This city is built upon a small promontory, and is easily seen 
for some distance, especially towards Tyre. It is surrounded 
with gardens abounding in trees, such as mulberry, acacia, 
fig, tamarisk, almond, pride-of-India, pomegranate, lemon, 
and plum. The population is about eight thousand, composed 
of Mohammedans, Jews^ and Greek Christians. Sidon is 



160 SIDON— JONAS THE PROPHET BEYROIJT. 

spoken of in both the Old and New Testament. It was 
founded by Sidon, the eldest son of Canaan. The Jews often 
fell into the idolatry of the Phoenicians, especially after Ahab, 
King of Israel, married Jezebel, the daughter of Eshbaal, King 
of the Sidonians. Sidon was an important place in the time 
of Joshua, and was once celebrated for its great riches ; it 
possessed the primacy over all the other cities of Syria, but 
ultimately Tyre disputed this dignity. The Sidonians were 
skilful shipwrights; the glass of Sidon was excellent ; their 
fine linen was well known. They exhibited great ingenuity 
in the working of metals, stone, and timber ; and they mate- 
rially assisted in furnishing articles for building the Temple 
of Jerusalem, under Solomon. 

Leaving Sidon, we passed large groves of mulberry trees, 
which are here extensively cultivated for rearing and feeding 
silk-worms ; the manufacture of silk being here a considerable 
business. Our road, for some distance, lay through rich plains, 
over which the gazelle was occasionally bounding; and then 
we entered upon a narrow, rocky passage, running between 
the mountains and the sea. As we descended into a large 
and extended plain, highly cultivated in mulberry trees, we 
were shown, on the beach, a Mahommedan tomb, which they 
say marks the spot where Jonas the prophet was cast upon 
the shore by the great fish, which had swallowed the disobe- 
dient man of God, when cast into the sea ! 

Within an hour or two of Beyrout we left the sea, and 
passed over some beautifully rolling country, abounding in 
firs, vines, fig, mulberry, poplar, mingled with the columns of 
the Eastern palm. We then entered a district of red sand, 
and after riding over this a while, we eventually came to a 
quarantine station, guarded by some ten or fifteen Arabs and 
Turks. Here it was necessary, before entering the city, to 
exhibit a clean bill of health. This, two of our party, who 
had gone on in advance, had in their possession : they had, 
by some means, been unobserved at the quarantine station, 
and had been sufl^ered to pass without any inquiries being 
made. We had a long parley with the officers, during which 
a Turk struck our Arab servant, Ali, with his sv/ord, because 
he persisted in attempts to advance past the station. Finally, 
through Andrew, we compromised the matter, by paying 
about two dollars, and were then permitted to enter Beyrout. 
The hotel being full, we had to lake private lodgings, break- 
fasting and dining at the hotel at enormously high charges. 

The environs of Beyrout are most delightful and enchant- 
ing, consisting of the most beautiful villas and country-seats. 



AMERICAN MISSIONARIES. 161 

The suburbs of the city are laid out in small lots of one or 
more acres, and in the midst of each the dwelling stands com- 
pletely surrounded by a dense growth of the most luxuriant 
foliage, rendering the situation the most retired and lovely 
imaginable. 

The city is built close to the sea. The streets are paved; 
but crooked, narrow, and dirty. The houses are tolerably 
good stone buildings, from one to three stories high, and 
present a good appearance for this country. A wall of stone 
surrounds the city, but does not appear to possess much 
strength. The inhabitants are said to number between tea 
and twelve thousand. The commerce of the city is consi- 
derable, and every thing has the appearance of a thriving 
business. 

I visited the American consul, at whose house I attended 
divine worship on the Sabbath under the Episcopal forms of 
service, where a respectable English audience was in attend- 
ance. Here I became acquainted with the Rev. Mr. Thomp- 
son and other American missionaries, from whom I received 
a friendly invitation to visit them at their house, which the 
want of time prevented me from doing. I regretted this, as 
I felt an interest in the mission which these worthy gentle- 
men are so successfully carrying forward in this country. 

Mount Lebanon was in sight from the city, lifting up its 
lofty and glittering summit to the very skies, presenting a 
noble, grand, and sublime mountain scenery. The top was 
white and glistening with its perpetual covering of snow and 
ice, dazzling the eye of the beholder in the reflection of the 
meridian sun. I was told, that on this mountain are still to 
be seen some of those lofty and noble cedars, for which it 
v/as so famous in the days of Solomon ; although the greatest 
part of the accessible timber has long since been removed. 

Libanus, or Lebanon, separates Syria from Palestine. The 
western part of this chain of mountains is properly called 
Libanus : the other part, eastward, extends from south to 
north, and is called, by the Greeks, Anti-Libanus. Between 
these two mountains is a long valley, called Coele-Syria, or 
Hollow Syria, the valley of Lebanon. Libanus is from the 
Hebrew, Leban, white; which name was given to it, proba- 
bly, on account of the snow which is generally seen on the 
tops of the highest parts of the mountains. Libanus is about 
one hundred leagues in circumference ; it is composed of four 
enclosures of mountains, which rise one on the other. The 
first is very rich in grain and fruits ; the second is barren, 
abounding in thorns, rock, and flint ; the third, though higher, 

14* 



162 MOUNT LEBANON — FACE OF SYRIA — SYKIANS. 

enjoys a perpetual spring, the trees being always green, and 
the orchards abound with fruit ; the fourth is so high that 
the tops are generally covered with snow. This explanation 
of the four different parts, may account for the apparently 
contradictory reports given by ancient and modern travellers; 
many of whom have not, perhaps, minutely inspected its va- 
rious parts. I much regretted, that time and opportunity 
were not afforded for a visit to this celebrated mountain. But 
the Austrian steamer, which usually leaves both Beyrout and 
Constantinople once a month, had arrived only a day or two 
before us ; and as she had already missed one trip imme- 
diately preceding, and might miss another, and thus keep us 
here one month waiting for the only comfortable conveyance 
within our reach, we felt it to be all important to hasten our 
preparations for a passage in this vessel. 

The general face of the country in Syria is hilly and 
mountainous, the hills rather of a conical form, and all bare 
of timber. Along the Mediterranean is a wide strip of rich 
land, except where the promontories extend out to the sea, 
such as Mount Carmel and others. Some rich valleys are lo 
he found ,* but nearly all uncultivated, on account of the in- 
dolence of the people, and the oppressive character of the 
government. At present they are open wastes. The roads, 
if roads they should be called (for they are merely paths 
made by the travelling of horses and other animals in the 
same narrow, beaten track,) are the worst which the imagi- 
nation can possibly depict. They pass over stones and huge 
rocks, along frightful precipices, where a false step would be 
instant death to both animal and rider. The inhabitants are 
nearly all Arabs and Turks. Out of the towns, they live 
altogether in tents, employing the time watching their flocks 
of sheep and goats, pasturing on the hills and mountains. In 
the country are no single dwellings. Their clothing is usually 
of the skins of animals, or coarse cloth wrappers made of 
wool, which they never change, neither by day nor night, 
until worn out. They lie down any where, like dogs; are 
extremely filthy in their persons, and seldom wash even their 
hands or face. Their diet is chiefly the flesh of sheep and 
goats, and vegetables of a spontaneous growth. 

We left Beyrout in the steamer at 6 p. m. and at 11 next 
morning reached the Island of Cyprus, the most easterly 
island of the Mediterranean, off the Syrian coast. It has 
been conjectured, that it was originally united to the conti- 
nent, and torn from it by some great convulsion of nature. 
The Greeks first ruled and colonized it, and from them it 



CYPRUS — RHODES FOETIFiCATIONS. 163 

was taken by the Romans. The most elevated, and the most 
remarkable of the mountains of Cyprus, is Mount Olympus, 
now called Trobados, to distinguish it from others of the 
same name, especially the famous one in Macedon. The 
monks have embellished the slopes of the mountain with 
gardens and vineyards, and have thus rendered it the most 
delightful abode on the island. The habitations of the island 
are surrounded by groves of orange, lemon, pomegranate, 
and other trees. In 1822, no less than twenty-five thousand 
Greeks were massacred by the merciless Turks, seventy-four 
villages destroyed, together with monasteries and churches ; 
the women were sold for slaves, and the children thrown into 
the sea. 

At 7 p. M. of the same day, we left Cyprus, and next day 
anchored in the harbour of Rhodes. The island is of a trian- 
gular form, rising gradually from the sea till it attains a con- 
siderable elevation towards the centre, where it terminates in 
the lofty summit of Mount Artamira. Rhodes is about thirty- 
six miles long, and eighteen broad. The coast is indented 
with gulfs and winding bays, well protected by bold promon- 
tories. The fertility of the soil has been proverbial from the 
earliest ages, though the cultivation is now much neglected. 

Rhodes is the chief town, and is situated on the northeast 
point, and has an imposing appearance when viewed from 
the sea. The houses, built on a sloping site, face the water. 
The town and harbour are defended by massive fortifications 
and large square towers. Above the ramparts appear the 
domes and spiral minarets of the mosques, together with a 
few solitary palm trees, while a highly ornamented Gothic 
gateway leads from the quay to the town. 

We remained in the harbour over night, and next morning 
put to sea ; but after being out three hours, were obliged to 
return to the harbour on account of head winds, rough sea, 
and severe weather. Our captain prevailed with the quaran- 
tine officers to let the passengers land and see the city. We 
accordingly landed, and were paraded on the wharf; the 
quarantine oflricers marched us through the principal streets, 
driving every body out of reach of all possible contact with 
our persons, and themselves keeping at a very respectable 
distance from us, enclosing us in a sort of pen formed by 
carrying their long poles horizontally pointed towards us, 
lest they might become the victims of disease. As we had 
come from Syria, they seemed afraid lest we might have 
brought the plague with us; yet they readily received our 
money, tendered as a sort of bribe compensation for their 



164 STREETS AND BUILDINGS. 

services, without manifesting any dread of contagion from 
that quarter. We cut a sorry picture in the streets, in such 
circumstances ; the people gazed upon us as though we were 
a show of wild animals. We had an opportunity, however, 
of seeing the town, and were then conducted back to the 
wharf, in the same ceremonious manner, and thence were 
taken in our small boats to the steamer. 

The modern town occupies only a fourth part of the site of 
the ancient city, and is still too extensive for its present popu- 
lation. The ruined streets are deserted and gloomy. The 
houses are chiefly of stone, but are low and mean in their 
appearance, and many of them uninhabited. Within the city 
are several remains of the works of the knights, in tolerable 
preservation. The street called the Street of the Knights, is 
straight and well paved, and bears a strong resemblance to 
the streets of Malta. Many of the stone houses have the 
armorial bearings of the knights on shields over the doors, 
or on the walls, on which may be distinguished the arms of 
England, France, the Pope, and the heraldic devices of some 
of the most illustrious families in Europe. The ancient 
Church of St. John, at the upper end of this street, has been 
converted into a mosque, and its handsome marble columns 
have been whitewashed. The Palace of the Grand Master is 
in ruins. The vaulted, winding passages, leading from one 
street to another, which were intended for defences, are now 
encumbered with rubbish. The largest mosque stands in a 
square shaded with trees and ornamented with a fountain. 
Rhodes was once distinguished for the splendour of its public 
edifices, the excellence of its laws, and its cultivation of lite- 
rature and the arts. The number of its statues was said to 
equal its population. In the different quarters of the town 
were a hundred colossi. 

The entrance to the great harbour is defended by two 
square towers, built by a grand-master, and called the towers 
of St. John and St. Michael. Within this harbour an enclo- 
sure is formed for boats by a small mole. Beyond St. John's 
Tower is another small port, but little frequented. The 
second harbour, called the Port of the Galleys, is protected by 
the Castle of St. Nicholas. 

The stupendous statue, the celebrated Colossus, of brass, 
erected in honour of the sun, and dedicated to Apollo, to 
whom the whole island was consecrated, was one of the 
seven wonders of the world, and stood at the entrance of the 
harbour, on two rocks, fifty feet asunder, and was tall enough 
for ships to sail between its legs. Its height has been diffe- 



STUPENDOUS STATUE— PaTIMLOS. 165 

rently stated, from one hundred and five to one hundred and 
fifty feet. According to Pliny, this magnificent monunaent 
was the work of Chares, the disciple of Lysippus. Fifty-six 
years after its construction it was thrown down by an earth- 
quake. " Few men," says Pliny, " could clasp the thumb of 
this gigantic statue; each of its fingers was larger than the 
usual size of entire statues. In the broken cavities of its 
sides are collections of enormous stones, placed there by the 
artists to fortify its base. It is said to have been the labour 
of tu^elve years, and to have cost three hundred talents." It 
seems doubtful whether the story of its feet resting upon two 
rocks was not a fable, as it is not mentioned by ancient au- 
thors ; and further doubt is cast upon the fact, from its being 
mentioned by historians as lying on the ground after its fall, 
whereas, had it been placed at the entrance of the harbour, it 
must have fallen into the sea. It remained where it fell 
nearly nine hundred years, till A. D. 672, when Maowias, 
the sixth Caliph of the Saracens, sold the brass to a Jew, who 
carried it off, loading nine hundred camels with its remains. 

The next morning, the storm having lulled, and the sea be- 
come calm, we again left the harbour. Passing a number of 
islands, we came in sight of Patmos, which is situated in the 
midst of a large number of small islands, of which I counted 
thirty-eight at one time, from the deck of the steamer. The 
island of Patmos is twelve miles long, and about six broad, 
and twenty-eight in circumference. It is a solid, irregular 
mass of rock, bleak, uncovered, without wood, and very 
barren. The highest point in the island is called St. Elijah. 
Its shores are indented with gulfs and good harbours, pro- 
tected by capes. Its principal port. La Scala, is one of the 
safest in the Sporades. The population of the island, amount- 
ing to about four thousand, is exclusively Greek, and ex- 
tremely poor. They gain a precarious subsistence by their 
periodical emigrations to the Continent, or to more fertile 
islands, where is a demand for agricultural labour, or by 
transporting merchandise in their boats from one commercial 
town to another. 

The town, built on the edge of a mountain, is reached by 
a steep and rugged ascent, on which some houses have been 
lately constructed. A still higher ridge is crowned by a vast 
convent, consisting of several irregular towers, presenting the 
appearance of a fortress. It is said to have been founded by 
Alexis Comnenses. Between two and three dozen Caloyers 
are the guardians of this sacred edifice. In addition to nu- 
merous apartments, it comprises a church and library, con- 



166 GROTTO OF ST. JOHN REVELATIONS SAMOS. 

taining several manuscripts and a few books. Patmos was 
used by the Romans as a place of banishment, and here it 
was that St. John wrote the Revelations, during the exile to 
which he was condemned, A. D. 94, by the Emperor Domi- 
tian, for preaching the gospel. The supposed abode of St. 
John is a grotto belonging to the monastery. It is protected 
by a chapel, where numerous lamps are kept perpetually- 
burning, and on the walls of which are rudely depicted 
various subjects relating to the Apocalypse. The monks, to 
whose care the chapel is confided, point out the localities 
assigned by tradition as the scene where the Revelations were 
delivered ; and some fissures in the roof are shown as those 
through which the apostle heard the great voice from heaven 
like the sound of a trumpet, that revealed to him the myste- 
rious truths of the Revelations, "saying, 1 am Alpha and 
Omega, the First and the Last," It was during his exile on 
this island, that John heard the sublime strains of the music 
of heaven : " And 1 beheld, and [ heard the voice of many 
angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders: 
and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, 
and thousands of thousands ; saying, with a loud voice, 
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and 
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and 
blessing." (Rev. v.) 

We also passed the beautiful island of Samos, so celebrated 
for the richness of its soil, the salubrity of its climate, and 
the purity of its air. The Samiotes were among the first to 
join the Greek insurrection, and they massacred or drove the 
Turks out of the island, which they put into a state of de- 
fence. A senate and government were formed, and an army 
of six thousand men was disciplined in the European fashion, 
which defeated all the efforts of the Turks to regain the island. 
The Christians of Asia found safety here, while the Samiotes 
made several successful expeditions to the Continent, defeat- 
ing and destroying the enemy wherever they met them, and 
returning home laden with booty and provisions. The Sa- 
miotes thus preserved their liberty during the whole period of 
the war, and were grievously disappointed on finding them- 
selves excluded in the formation of the new kingdom of 
Greece. 

We also passed Scio, the ancient Chios, so conspicuous in 
the war of Greece. This island, once the paradise of the 
Levant, is pre-eminently distinguished for its natural fertility, 
beautiful scenery, extraordinary verdure, and the richness of 
the foliage covering the whole face of the country. Notwith- 



SCIO FxVTE OF SCIO — SMYRNA. 167 

standing the calamities it suffered during the late contest for 
independence in Greece, it is gradually recovering from the 
state of desolation to which it was reduced. The vineyards, 
the olive, citron, and mastic groves, which were all cut down 
or burnt, are again springing up. The pretty detached villas, 
which once adorned the island, are being rebuilt, whilst the 
remnant of the inhabitants, who, having escaped the general 
massacre, became voluntary exiles to escape from death or 
slavery, have returned, and are rapidly raising the town 
from its ashes. 

The fate of Scio was one of the most barbarous acts com- 
mitted by the Turks during the late war. Shortly after the 
revolution broke out, a large force was sent to secure the 
fidelity of the island. Ninety-five of the principal merchants 
were demanded as hostages ; of these ten were sent to Con- 
stantinople, and the rest were imprisoned in the fort of Scio. 
In the spring of 1822, a body of insurgents from Samos com- 
pelled the Sciotes to rise and join in the rebellion. Hereupon 
the Turkish governor shut himself up in the fortress, awaiting 
the arrival of succour. This soon arrived, in the person of 
the Capitan Pacha, who invited the natives to return to their 
allegiance; but the inhabitants, having become fatally com- 
promised by the Samians, the siege of the fortress was prose- 
cuted with vigour, till at length the Greeks were overpowered 
by numbers, and being placed between two fires, were entirely 
defeated. Then commenced an unparalleled work of destruc- 
tion. The island was desolated from one end to the other by 
conflagration, plunder, and death. The females were sold for 
slaves, the men and male children massacred. Thirty-five 
merchants were hung at the yard-arms of the ships, and the 
eighty-five hostages in the fort shared the same fate. Of the 
one hundred and twenty thousand souls who composed the 
population, but nine hundred remained, and this wretched 
remnant was in danger of being swept away by the pesti- 
lence which followed. The Sciotes were, however, in some 
degree avenged. Two Greek fire-ships entered the canal 
unobserved, and set fire to the admiral's ship, which exploded, 
with a crew of two thousand men. 

We arrived at Smyrna in our steamer, and anchored in the 
bay, directly in t>ont of the town, and at a short distance 
from the wharf. The Gulf of Smyrna is thirty-three miles 
long, and from five to fifteen broad ; it is compassed with 
high mountains clothed with wood, which rise from the 
water's edge ; and has numerous headlands and islands in- 
tervening between the entrance of the gulf and the town. 



168 ONE OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES ARCHIPELAGO. 

We had a fine view of the city from the decks of the 
steamer, but could not land without performing a quarantine 
of fifteen days, which we were not willing to endure, especi- 
ally as we had a choice between this place and Constantino- 
ple. We preferred performing the quarantine at Constanti- 
nople, on account of better accommodations being furnished 
at the quarantine ground. The American Consul came along- 
side of the steamer, and furnished us with the news from 
America. He appeared to be very accommodating, and prof- 
fered his services in any way we might need them. Here I 
wrote to the United States, but my letter was very cautiously, 
received from the steamer, by a man in a small boat, with an 
iron pair of tongs, and had to be smoked before it could be 
received into the city. 

Smyrna was one of the Seven Churches mentioned in the 
Revelation of St. John. " And unto the angel of the church 
in Smyrna, write: These things saith the First and the Last, 
which was dead and is alive; I know thy works, and tribu- 
lation, and poverty, (but thou art rich,) and I know the blas- 
phemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but 
are the synagogue of Satan. Be thou faithful unto death, and 
I will give thee a crown of life." (Rev. ii.) 

J^eaving Smyrna, we passed out of its beautiful bay, and 
continued^our course through the Archipelago. From Rhodes 
to Mitylene we saw, from the decks of the steamer, I should 
suppose some thousands of islands, some of which are noted 
in history, but many are merely rocks projecting out of the 
sea. It was an interesting and novel sight to many of us. 
The deck of our steamer was literally crowded with the 
representatives of all the Eastern nations, some eighty to one 
hundred Greeks, Turks, and Arabs, in their respective national 
costumes. These people sit or lie down nearly all the time, 
seldom standing or walking about as Europeans and Ameri- 
cans generally do ; but here they lie, male and female, on 
their dirty mattrasses, or filthy rugs, covered with some old 
coverlids or rags, day and night, exposed to sun, rain, storms, 
and the spray of the sea, the water frequently dashing over 
and completely drenching them to the very skin. The rich 
as well as the poor among these people, always take the deck ; 
I never saw one take a berth below, or once enter the cabin. 



CHAPTER XIL 

Arrival at the Dardanelles — Approach to Constantinople — Arrival at the 
City — Golden Horn — Quarantine — Top-hanna — Turkish Costume — ■ 
Caiques — Pera — Madame Josephine — AfFecting- Greek Story — Con- 
stantinople — Stillness of the City — Dogs — View from a Tower — Scu- 
tari — Cemeteries — Torment of the Soul — Howling Dervishes — Dan- 
cing Dervishes — Castle of the Seven Towers — Bazars — Slave-market 
— Seraglio. 

We arrived at the ancient Hellespont, the Dardanelles of 
the Turks, dividing Asia from Europe, and presenting the 
most delightful scenery along the shores, in its beautiful vil- 
lages, hedgerows, and vineyards, which the mind can imagine. 
Its whole length of sixty miles, presented a continued succes- 
sion of new beauties ; a new fort, a beautiful villa, or the 
ruins of an ancient city, was constantly attracting the atten- 
tion of our company. It seems strange, that this and other 
the fairest portions of the earth should be in the hands of the 
indolent Turks, who neither improve it themselves, nor suffer 
others to do justice to the bounteous gifts of Nature. We 
passed the ruins of Sestos and Abydos, also the spot where it 
is said Xerxes built his bridge of boats to carry over his mil- 
lions to the conquest of Greece ; and when he had returned 
with the wreck of his defeated and disgraced army, and found 
his bridge destroyed by a tempest, he ordered the chains to 
be let down into the sea, and the waves to be lashed for their 
presumptuous opposition to his wishes. Here Leander used 
to swim across to the opposite shore to visit his beloved Hero. 
The same feat was also performed by Lord Byron. 

Towards evening we were entering the Sea of Marmora. 
At daylight the next morning we were approaching Constan- 
tinople. To use the language of a celebrated writer, " with 
eyes rivetted on the expanding splendours, I watched, as they 
rose out of the bosom of the surrounding waters, the pointed 
minarets, the swelling cupolas, and the innumerable habita- 
tions, either stretching along the jagged shore, or reflecting 
their image in the mirror of the deep, or creeping up the 
crested mountains, and tracing their outline in the expanse of 
the sky. At first, agglomerated in a single confused mass, 

15 



170 AUEIVAL AT THE CITY GOLDEN HORN. 

the lesser parts of this immense whole seemed, as we advanced, 
by degrees to unfold, to disengage themselves from each other, 
and to grow into various groups, divided by wide chasms and 
deep indentures; until, at last, the cluster thus far still dis- 
tinctly connected, become transformed, as if by magic, into 
three distinct cities, each, individually, of prodigious extent, 
and each separated from the other two by a wide arm of that 
sea, whose silver tide encompassed their base, and made its 
vast circuit rest half in Europe, half in Asia. Entranced by 
the magnificent spectacle, I felt as if all the faculties of my 
soul were insufficient fully to embrace its glories." 

As we gradually approached Constantinople, the splendid 
domes and towering minarets, with their golden points and 
glittering crescents, presented a grand and enchanting sight. 
The towering mosque of Sultan Achmet, and the beautiful 
dome of St. Sophia, once a Christian church, but now devoted 
to the dead forms of the false prophet, arose in all their ma- 
jestic sublimity. Those who have never enjoyed the splendid 
sight presented to the enchanted eye, by an approach to this 
city of magnificence, with the rays of the morning sun reflect- 
ed from the domes and minarets, shining like burnished gold, 
can form no idea of the grandeur of the dazzling scene. 

Skirting the walls of the city, which are washed by the sea, 
and surmounted by ranges of gloomy turrets; passing the 
Seven Towers, we reached the vicinity of the palace, the 
seraglio of the despot, its blinded windows giving it a sombre 
and prison-like appearance, instead of the residence of beauty 
and royalty ; and then, moving around its walls, we entered 
the Golden Horn, or great inner port of Constantinople. It 
is here that God and man, nature and art, have placed, in 
concert, the most wonderful view which the human eye can 
contemplate. 

The harbour of Constantinople obtained the appellation of 
the Golden Horn, from the ancients, at a very remote period. 
The precise origin of the name is undetermined. By some, 
its curve is compared to the horn of a stag or an ox ; while 
the epithet of golden was expressive of the riches which every 
wind wafted from the most distant countries, into the secure 
and capacious harbour of Constantinople. Others say, that Its 
resemblance to the cornucopia of Amalthea, filled with fruits 
of different kinds, gave it the name of Golden Horn. It is, 
perhaps, the most beautiful and commodious harbour in the 
world, formed by the waters of the Bosphorus flowing in be- 
tween two promontories, separating Stamboul from Pera, 
Galata, and Top-hanna. Ships of the first class can moor 



QUARANTINE. 171 

close to the shores, and rest their prows against the houses, 
whilst their sterns are floating in the waters. The length of 
the port is about five miles. The harbour can accommodate 
twelve hundred sail at the same time; and is deep enough to 
float men-of-war of the very largest size. The steepness of 
the banks, with the great depth of the sea, and its being sub- 
ject to no variations of tides, affords great facility in landing 
cargoes. 

After remaining about two hours in the vicinity of the 
seraglio, our steamer passed on about five miles, to the qua- 
rantine ground. Here Andrew went on shore, and procured 
for our accommodation the best rooms he could find. The 
rooms at the quarantine are let at different prices, according 
to their condition and comfort. Our company and luggage 
were landed, and we took possession of three rooms, two for 
ourselves, and one for our servants. This place covers some 
eight or ten acres, with buildings erected for the accommoda- 
tion of those compelled to perform quarantine ; a large open 
square is in the middle, with a beautiful carpet of grass co- 
vering the whole area, about which we were allowed to walk 
daily for recreation, under the vigilant eye of a Turkish 
guard, whose duty was to prevent us from coming in contact 
with any individual arriving after ourselves. Had we been 
so unfortunate as to suffer the slightest contact, we would 
have forfeited the time already passed on the ground, and 
would have been compelled to recommence our quarantine. 
Here we had to remain for fifteen days ; during which time 
we bought our own provisions, and having a good cook of 
our own, we lived well and made the best of our temporary 
confinement, in the enjoyment of various amusements and 
pastimes. During our stay in quarantine, the Sultan had 
some two or three children born to him in the seraglio, an 
event always announced by the firing of cannon ; which 
firing was so heavy as to shake the windows in our apart- 
ment at the distance of five miles. The average births are 
about one^'a week. At the close of our fifteen days' quaran- 
tine, having no further use for our kitchen furniture, our 
mattrasses, &c., which had been of so much use to us, and 
indeed indispensably necessary to our comfort in Egypt, the 
Desert, and Palestine, and no less so here in the quarantine 
station; we gave them to Andrew, our Greek servant (or 
courier as he termed himself,) agreeably to custom in such 
cases, as a part of his perquisites. 

Leaving the quarantine ground in boats, which were rowed 
by several Turks, we kept down the Asiatic side, rowed near 



172 TOP-HANNA TURKISH COSTUME CAIQUES— PERA. 

Scutari, and the Maiden Tower, passed through a countless 
multitude of vessels, and landed at Top-hanna. A beautiful 
Moorish fountain, constructed in the form of an Indian pago- 
da, with its marble chiselled and painted in glaring colours, 
cut like bone-lace on a silk bottom, poured its waters in the 
middle of a small open square. The boatmen were seated in 
great numbers on the brim of the quay, waiting for their 
masters, or soliciting passengers. They are a fine race of 
men, and their costume adds to their appearance. They 
wear white drawers, with folds as wide as those of a petti- 
coat ; a sash of crimson silk binds them around the waist; 
on their heads they wear a small Greek bonnet of red wool, 
topped with a long silken string, hanging behind the head ; 
the neck and breast naked ; a large shirt of raw silk, with 
wide hanging sleeves, covers the shoulders and the arms. 
Their caiques (or boats) are narrow canoes, from twenty to 
thirty feet long, and two or three broad, made of walnut 
wood, varnished and glossy as mahogany. The prow of 
these boats is as sharp as the iron of a lance, and cuts the 
sea like a knife. They are of different sizes, capable of con- 
taining from one to four or eight passengers. They may be 
counted by thousands in the harbours of Constantinople; 
they number, it is said, eighty thousand; independently of 
those which, like hackney coaches, are for the use of the 
public at all hours, each individual of good circumstances 
keeps his own, the rowers of which are his domestics. These 
boats can be obtained at a moderate hire, either by the day or 
for an excursion ; and not much can be seen without their aid. 
On leaving the square, we entered the dirty and populous 
streets of the Pera bazar. In almost every respect, except 
costume, they present the same aspect as the neighbourhoods 
of similar establishments already described. Here are wooden 
stalls, where pies or meat are cooked for the populace ; shops 
for barbers, tobacconists, vegetable and fruit-sellers; a thick 
and eager crowd in the streets; all the costumes, and all the 
tongues of the East assailing the eye and ear ; and, beyond 
all, the barkings of numberless dogs, which fill the squares 
and the bazars, and fight amongst themselves for the refuse 
that is thrown to the doors. From this place we entered a 
long, deserted, and narrow street, which mounts, by a steep 
acclivity, to the hill of Pera ; the grated windows allow not 
a single peep into the interior of the Turkish houses, which 
have an appearance of poverty and desertion. At the top of 
these streets extends the beautiful quarter of Pera, inhabited 
by the Europeans, ambassadors, and consuls. 



MADAME JOSEPHINE— AFFECTING GREEK STORY. 173 

We proceeded to the private boarding-house of Madame 
Josephine, a very accomplished Greek lady, who speaks 
several of the Eastern languages with great fluency, and 
who keeps an excellent house, with the best accommodations. 
Her history is affecting in the extreme. Her mother was a 
widow, and at the time of the Greek revolution resided with 
her family in Constantinople. She had six or seven sons, 
all holding offices under the Sultan. The Turkish govern- 
ment, suspecting them of leaning towards the Greeks, had 
them all arrested and cast into prison. The mother, expect- 
ing nothing less than their speedy execution, was much dis- 
tressed, and became almost frantic. Finally, she was in- 
formed by the officers of government, that if she would go 
to the prison, she could obtain her sons. Elated with joy 
at such unexpected intelligence, and coming, as it did, from 
high authority, she anticipated the great pleasure of their 
speedy liberation. She flew without delay to the prison, was 
conducted to a room., and told to take her sons away with 
her; when the decapitated bodies were all pointed out to her 
by the unfeeling monsters. She lost her reason, plunged 
into the Bosphorus, and was drowned. I may not have the 
tragic story precisely correct in every particular; but the 
substance I have given as I received it from the mouth of an 
intelligent military officer of the government, boarding with 
myself at the same time at the house of Madame Josephine. 

Constantinople is the metropolis of the Turkish Empire, 
and is situated at the confluence of the Bosphorus with the 
Sea of Marmora, and stands on the site of the ancient Byzan- 
tium. The Turks commonly designate Constantinople by the 
name of Stamboui, or Istamboul, which is a Romaic appella- 
tion, signifying, the city. It has another name, half Turkish 
and half Romaic, namely, Islam-boul, or the City of the Faith. 
Constantino, sensible of the immense advantages of its posi- 
tion, fixed his residence here in 330, in preference to Rome. 
It became afterwards the capital of the Greek Empire, and 
was in the meridian of its glory in the time of the crusaders. 
The seven hills on which it is built ascend as they recede 
from the shore, and a beautiful green hill forms the back- 
ground. An arm of the Bosphorus aflx)rds it an excellent har- 
bour, with an open navigation to the Black Sea on the north, 
and to the Mediterranean on the south. The whole circuit 
of the city is about twelve miles. It is surrounded by a wall 
from fourteen to twenty feet high, flanked with towers, and 
having twenty-eight gates. 

The external appearance of Constantinople is magnificent. 

15* 



174 CONSTANTINOPLE STILLNESS OF THE CITY DOGS. 

Palaces, mosques, seraglios, baths, bazars, domes, turrets and 
spires, tower one above another. But the magic of the pros- 
pect disappears on entering the city. Here are seen nothing 
but narrow, crooked, dirty streets, and houses of wood, of 
brick, and of mud, covered with a deceplious cement. The 
extremes of magnificence and wretchedness are most glar- 
ingly developed in Constantinople. Amid the novelties that 
strike the American or European on his arrival, nothing sur- 
prises him more than the silence which pervades so large a 
capital. He hears no noise of carts or carriages rattling 
through the streets, for they have no wheeled vehicles in the 
city, except a very few painted carts, drawn by buffaloes, in 
which women occasionally take the air in the suburbs, and 
which go on a foot-pace. The only sounds which he hears 
by day, are the cries of bread, fruits, sweetmeats, or sherbet, 
carried in a large wooden tray on the head of an itinerant 
vender. The city is infested with countless multitudes of 
dogs, lazy, ugly curs, of a reddish-brown colour, with muz- 
zles like that of a fox, short ears, and famished looks. 
These dogs belong to the wonders of Constantinople. Their 
litters are never destroyed, and they are the only scavengers 
of the city. They feed upon the offal from butcher's shops, 
private houses, carcases of animals, and they may be con- 
stantly seen prowling along the edge of the water in search 
of any headless trunks that may be washed ashore. They 
are never domesticated within private dwellings, are not the 
property of any individual, but supported by all; lie in the 
middle of the street, and rise only when roused by blows. 
Mosques, and their enclosures, are carefully guarded, lest 
they should be polluted by them; and they are moreover 
considered susceptible of plague. Each dog belongs to a dis- 
trict of his own. The most rigid police is observed by the 
dogs of the district, and should a vagrant dog invade his 
neighbours' territory, the whole posse immediately assail him. 
At night they send forth such repeated bowlings that it re- 
quires practice to be able to sleep in spite of their noise. 

In Pera is a lofty tower, to the top of which we ascended, 
and from which we obtained a most extensive view of the 
whole city and suburbs, and for twenty or thirty miles around 
in every direction. Excepting the grand and sublime view 
from the top of Mount Olivet, I think I never experienced 
any thing to equal the splendid sight fromihe top of this ele- 
vated tower. 

The morning after our arrival we engaged boats and water- 
men to be in readiness, that we might visit the suburbs and 



SCUTARI CEMETERIES TORMENT OF THE SOUL. 175 

all places of interest. We first rowed over to Scutari, on 
the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus. This is the largest town 
of the suburbs, and is a town of itself, built, like Constanti- 
nople and Rome, on seven hills. Scutari has eight mosques, 
five of which were founded by Sultanas, and three by Sul- 
tans. 

We visited the cemeteries of Scutari, which are the largest, 
the most beautiful, and the most justly celebrated of any in 
the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The soil of Scutari is 
considered the consecrated ground of Asia, whence the 
founder of the Ottoman Empire sprang, who, spreading his 
doctrine with the sword, marched onwards to Europe. On 
this account these groves of tombs are richer in beautiful 
monuments of illustrious and distinguished men than any of 
the cemeteries of Constantinople or its adjoining villages. 
One tomb, in the midst of the crowd, attracts the attention of 
the traveller. A canopy, resting on six columns, marks the 
resting-place of Sultan Mahmoud's favourite horse!! If an 
accurate census of the Turkish population could be obtained, 
it would probably be found not to exceed the twentieth part 
of the tenants of this single cemetery. 

The numerous cemeteries scattered through Constantinople, 
and in its vicinity, are among its greatest ornaments. One 
near Pera contains several hundred acres. The people of 
every creed in the city have distinct quarters allotted to 
them. The groves of dark cypresses, with their turbaned 
stones of white marble, belong exclusively to the Moslems. 
From remote antiquity it has been the custom among ori- 
ental nations to plant a tree at the birth, and another at the 
death, of each member of a family; and a cypress is always 
planted at each Mussulman's grave. As no grave is ever 
opened a second time, the burial-grounds have become vast 
forests, extending for miles around the city and its suburbs. 
The tomb-stones of the Turks are of white marble, and not 
unfrequenlly shaped from ancient columns and marbles. A 
turban surmounting the stone, distinguishes the graves of the 
males; those of the females are simply ornamented with a 
rose-branch. The rank and condition of the deceased are 
distinguished by the form of the turban. Nothing is more 
touching than to see, beneath the shade of some dark cypress, 
solitary men absorbed in prayer, or groups of women sitting 
over the graves of departed friends, with whom, in deep ab- 
straction, they seem to hold communion ; or supplying with 
water the flowers planted in cavities left expressly in each of 
them. 



176 HOWLING DERVISHES. 

The Turks suppose the soul to be in a stale of torment 
from the period of death to that of burial. The funeral, 
therefore, takes place as soon as possible. The only occa- 
sion when a Turk is seen to walk at a quick pace is when 
carrying a body towards the cemetery. The Koran de- 
clares, that he who carries a body for forty paces procures 
for himself the expiation of a great sin. Coffins are not 
used when the body is deposited in the grave. Thin boards 
are placed over it, to prevent the earth from pressing on it. 

We went to see the Howh"ng Dervishes. They were in a 
large room, with a priest or sheik to preside over their devo- 
tions. Their exercises begin with an ordinary prayer, with 
the sole difference, that, instead of the customary carpet, they 
spread a lamb-skin, on which they kneel and sit. After the 
customary prayer, recited five times every day by every 
Moslem, they seat themselves in a circle, and pray the 
Fatiha, which is a part of the Koran, which is followed by 
many sacred ejaculations, such as " blessings on our prophet, 
the lord of messengers, and on his family and his com- 
panions ; blessings also on Abraham and his family, and his 
companions." These formula are recited slowly, in a mono- 
tonous voice, not unlike the Catholic choruses. After this is 
over, they all stand up in a circle, and begin, slowly, in chorus, 
the profession of faith, bending themselves forwards, and then 
assuming the erect posture. This continues with increasing 
rapidity, the motion always keeping the same pace with the 
song, or rather with the cry. The motion soon becomes so 
quick, that the singer is obliged to pronounce two syllables in 
one bend of the body, and, as the rapidity of the latter in- 
creases, to unite the two syllables in one, so that it soon ter- 
minates in a wild cry. The quicker the motion, the greater 
is the fury of the movement, which continues in a dance of 
orgies, for which no small power of lungs is required. 
During this bellowing chorus, two singers, with melodious 
voice, sing passages out of the Borda, (the celebrated poem 
in praise of the Prophet,) or out of other poems. This quiet 
music sounds like the chime of bells amidst the roaring of the 
winds and the howling of the storm. The signal of the high- 
est degree of the quickest movement is when the sheik begins 
to stamp. They then all bend themselves like persons pos- 
sessed. Whilst the company, with the arms extended over 
each other's shoulders, bow in three-quarter time, backwards 
and forwards, or sideways, in and out, some other of the 
dervishes perform the feats of incombustibility. They take 
red-hot iron in their mouths, allow themselves to be seized 



DANCING DERVISHES. 177 

with burning hooks, carry balls of fire in their hands, without 
a sound of pain or a trace of injury. Meantime the rapid 
power of the lungs, and the wild, gurgling cry increase with 
astonishing violence. Many fall down, foaming with enthu- 
siasm ; others are carried away swooning. Some cry, Ja 
hu ! (Jehovah!) others, Ja meded ! (Oh, help!) whilst the 
anthem intermingles the silvery tones of "Oh, Mediator! 
Oh, Beloved ! Oh, Physician of souls ! Oh, thou who wert 
chosen ! Oh, Advocate at the day of judgment, when men 
will exclaim. Oh, my soul! oh, my soul! and when thou 
wilt say. Oh, my people ! my people !" 

The next day we went to see the exercises of what are 
called the Dancing Dervishes. They were assembled in a 
circular room, with a priest or sheik to direct their move- 
ments. They were all dressed alike, with a long, high-crown- 
ed hat upon their heads, a cloth dress somewhat similar to a 
lady's riding dress, tight around the waist, and very wide at 
the bottom. They commenced near the sheik, and then filing 
ofi*, began by turning very gracefully on their feet, and form- 
ing themselves into a circle. They increased the rapidity of 
their movements, turning around upon their feet, and the 
whole circle moving around the sheik, until their dresses 
became inflated to a large diameter at the bottom, of seven 
or eight feet, their arms extended, and their eyes turned to- 
wards heaven. This was continued for some fifteen or twenty 
minutes, when they would stop and rest, and then recom- 
mence the same round of exercises. These exercises were 
continued for an hour or more, leaving the devotees much 
exhausted. Sad delusions, to suppose that such worship could 
reach the throne of God acceptably, or be addressed to their 
dead prophet with any hopes of benefit to him or themselves. 
May God, in mercy, send them the enlightening influences 
and blessings of the Gospel ! 

The Castle of the Seven Towers is worth a visit. This 
mass of building stands isolated at the west angle of Constan- 
linople, where the walls which cross the promontory join the 
Sea of Mamora. This imperial castle, once a state prison, is 
now rarely used as such ; three of its seven towers have near- 
ly disappeared, and the whole building is in a state of dilapi- 
dation. One of the towers was thrown down by an earth- 
quake in 1768. Those remaining are two hundred feet high. 
The walls consist of a triple range, with five gates, the prin- 
cipal of which is termed the Cannon Gate. Through this 
gate Mohammed II. made his entry into the city. The Turks 
have never repaired these walls since they fell into their hands, 



178 BAZARS SLAVE-MARKET. 

and they are consequently in a ruinous condition. The origi- 
nal fortress was constructed after the foundation of the city ; 
it was strengthened by two additional towers by Thaddeus. 
This place may well be termed a fortress of blood, where the 
dethroned Sultans were dragged by the populace lo await that 
death which is not long delayed when the people are both 
judges and executioners. Six or seven imperial heads have 
rolled on this spot. Thousands of more vulgar heads have 
covered the battlements of the tower. A small open court, 
where heads were piled till they overtopped the wall, is called 
the Place of Heads. 

We visited the Bazars, which have more the appearance ot 
a row of booths in a fair, than a street of shops. Yet, the ar- 
rangement and exposure of their various and gaudy articles, 
would astonish a person acquainted with even the splendour 
of London. One alley, on each side, glitters for a hundred 
yards with yellow morocco; you turn into another fringed 
with Indian shawls ; or cast your eye down a long vista lined 
with muslin draperies and robes of ermines and fur. The 
streets are covered over to keep out the sun, which gives them 
a sombre appearance. The shop-keepers, on every side, are 
continually whistling in a singular manner, and motioning 
with their hands for you to come and buy their goods. The 
crowd in the bazars, consisting chiefly of ladies, renders it 
difficult to pass through them, especially as more ceremony 
is required than amongst the well-dressed mob of an opera- 
house ; and sucli are the extent and intricacy of these covered 
ways, that it would be a tiresome task to roam through the 
half of them in one morning. 

The slave-market we also visited. It is a vast uncovered 
court, surrounded by a roofed portico. Beneath this portico, 
around which runs a wall breast-high towards the court, doors 
open into the chambers where the merchants keep the slaves. 
These doors remain open, in order that the purchasers, as 
they walk about, may see the slaves. The men and women 
are kept in separate divisions; the women* are unveiled. Be- 
sides the slaves shut up in ihese low chambers, a great many 
are grouped in the gallery under the portico, and in the court. 
These slaves are sold, not merely for servants, as in the west, 
but become the adopted sons and daughters of the purchasers. 
With regard to the females thus offered for sale, they belong 
to two classes. One are sold for wives, the other for servants. 
The former, belonging to the most illustrious families of 

3 CD O 

Georgia, Circassia, or the provinces, are entrusted by their 
parents to the commissioner, who is responsible for any in- 



1 



SERAGLIO. 179 

suit or afTront to vvliich ihey may be exposed, whilst the fe- 
males themselves enjoy the absolute right of refusal to be sold 
to any one whom they dislike. Once purchased, they become, 
by the Mussulman law, the wives of their lords. Their dowry 
and portion are settled upon them by law, and should their 
husbands misuse them, or violate the nuptial vow, they can 
sue for a divorce, and obtain back their dowry and marriage 
settlement. With regard to the class of servants, they are 
bought to be the slaves, not of the master, but of his wife. 
He has no property in them whatever, but he is bound to pro- 
tect them through life, and to contribute, according to his 
rank, to their future settlement in the world. As regards the 
male slaves, they rise with the condition of their master. 
Halil Pacha, the son-in-law of the late Sultan, was bought as 
a slave by the Seraskier Chosruf Pacha, himself once a 
Georgian slave. 

At the time of our being in Constantinople, some sixteen 
English, French and American gentlemen, with ourselves, were 
all desirous of visiting the far-famed Seraglio, the mosques 
and the tombs of the Sultans. It was necessary to have a fir- 
man from the Turkish government, and this could be obtained 
only through one of the Ambassadors or Consuls. As our 
company contained more Englishmen than others, one of the 
English gentlemen made application to the representative of 
his own government, and was refused, on the ground, that 
some difficulties existed between the department and the 
Turkish government, on account of some improper use having 
been made of a firman obtained for some of his countrymen. 
We then made application to the representative of the United 
States. Commodore Porter was absent some ten or twelve 
miles from the city, but his agent, or dragoman, as such 
agents are here termed, Mr. Brown, promptly and kindly at- 
tended to our request, and immediately obtained the firman. 
I can never forget the kind and marked attention which I con- 
stantly received from this gentleman during my stay in Con- 
stantinople. Americans have no difficulty in obtaining any 
favours or privileges from the Turkish officers; our nation 
stands high in their estimation. The next morning Mr. Brown 
politely waited upon our company and went with us in our 
caiques to Stamboul. We were detained at the gate of the 
Palace, or Seraglio, some fifteen or twenty minutes, to give 
time to the eunuchs to notify the ladies of the Harem to retire 
out of sight. 

The Seraglio, or Palace of the Ottoman Sultans, with its 
enclosures, occupies the space of the ancient city of Byzan- 



180 SEKAGLIO. 

tium, on the extreme point of the eastern promontory, which 
stretches towards the continent of Asia, and forms the en- 
trance to the Bosphorus. The Seraglio, (the splendid work 
of Mahomet II.), is nearly three miles in circuit ; it is a kind 
of triangle, of which the longest side faces the city ; that on 
the Sea of Marmora, the south ; and the other, which forms 
the entrance of the port, the east. The apartments are on the 
top of the hill, and the gardens below, stretching to the sea. 
The walls of the city, flanked with their towers, being joined 
to the Point of St. Demetrius, make the circumference of 
this palace towards the sea. Although the compass of it is 
so great, the outside of the palace has nothing remarkable. 
That the inhabitants of Galata, and other places in that neigh- 
bourhood, may not see the Sultanas walking in the gardens, 
trees are there planted in great numbers, that are always 
green. 

The apartments of the Seraglio have been made at different 
times, and according to the capriciousness of the Princes and 
Sultanas; thus is this famous palace a heap of houses cluster- 
ing together, without any manner of order. They are spa- 
cious, commodious, and richly furnished. Their best orna- 
ments are not pictures, nor statues, but paintings after the 
Turkish manner, inlaid with gold and azure, diversified with 
flowers, landscapes, &c. Marble basins, bagnios, spouting 
fountains, are the delight of the Orientals, who place them 
over the first floor, without fear of overpressing the ceiling. 

The principal entrance of the Seraglio is a huge pavilion, 
with eight openings over the gate, or porte. This Porte, from 
which the Ottoman Empire took its name, is very high, sim- 
ple, semicircular in its arch, with an Arabic inscription 
beneath the bend of the arch, and two niches, one on each 
side, in the wall. Fifty porters keep this gate, but they have 
generally no weapon but a wand or white rod. At first, we 
entered into a large court-yard, not near so broad as long; 
on the right are infirmaries for the sick ; on the left lodges 
for persons employed in the most sordid oflices of the Seraglio : 
here the wood is kept that servos for fuel to the palace. Every 
year forty thousand cart-loads are consumed, each load as 
much as two buflfaloes can well draw. Any body may enter 
the first court of the Seraglio, Here the domestics and slaves 
of the bashas and agas wait for their masters' returning, and 
look after their horses ; but every thing is so still, the motion 
of a fly may be almost distinctly heard, and if any one should 
presume to raise his voice ever so little, or show the least 
want of respect to the mansion-place of their emperor, he 



i 



SERAGLIO. 181 

would instantly have the bastinado applied by the officers who 
go the rounds. 

Fronn the fi^st court, we entered the second ; the entrance 
to this is also kept by fifty porters. This court is about three 
hundred paces square; much handsomer than the first; the 
pathways are paved, and the alleys well kept ; the rest of the 
area is very pretty turf, interspersed with fountains. The 
Grand Siguier's treasury and the little stable are on the 
left. Here they show a fountain, where formerly they used 
to cut off the heads of bashas condemned to die. The offices 
and kitchens are on the right, embellished with domes, but 
without chimneys; they kindle a fire in the middle, and the 
smoke goes out through the holes made in the domes. We 
may have some idea of the vastness of these buildings, when 
we learn, that the Sultan feeds all the individuals attached to 
the court and palace, and that the number of mouths daily 
fed is at least ten thousand. 

The third court, which is not so large as the others, is 
formed by several small palaces in the form of kiosks, with 
very low roofs, which project seven or eight feet beyond the 
walls, being supported by small columns, or Moorish pillars, 
of painted wood. The courts and gardens, which stretch in 
the intervals between the kiosks, are planted with trees of 
great beauty and age, without order, their branches waving 
over the edifices, and shrouding the roofs and terraces. The 
right wing of these buildings contains a huge kitchen. A 
little in front of this kitchen, is a delightful little palace, sur- 
rounded by a gallery, or portico, on the ground floor, which 
is appropriated to the pages, or icoglans, of the Seraglio. It 
is here that the Sultan causes the sons of the court families 
to be reared and educated, as well as young slaves destined 
for the occupations of the Seraglio or the Empire. 

At the bottom of the court, a little beyond the hall of the 
icoglans, a large palace shuts up the view and the passage. It 
was the one which the Sultans themselves inhabit; this was 
also surrounded by a gallery. The numberless doors and 
windows of the apartments opened on this gallery. The large 
saloons serve as a vestibule, and give access to the apartments. 
Marble fountains gush and spout in jets upon the open gallery, 
between the kiosk and the palace. It is a delightful spot. 
The shrubs and rose-bushls of the small gardens, which 
cover the lower terraces, creep on the balustrades and carv= 
ings, spreading their perfume around in every direction. 

Pursuing the platform of the palace to the left, along a 
narrow balcony supported by high terraces, is the harem, or 

16 



182 SERAGLIO. 

palace of the Sultanas. We did not approach very near this 
abode, forbidden to vulgar gaze, as a man's curiosity might 
cost him dear. Nothing is to be seen but the grated windows 
and the delightful balconies encircled with trellis-work, and 
blinds interspersed with flowers, where the women pass their 
days contemplating the gardens, the city, and the sea. 

Within the precincts of the Seraglio is an object of consi- 
derable interest to a traveller, but which few ever chance to 
see, from the ignorance of their dragomans and cicerones, 
who are generally unacquainted with its existence. It is a 
kind of armoury, in which are deposited specimens of the 
■weapons formerly in use amongst the Turks, and of the 
strange and gorgeous costumes of the various dignitaries and 
officials of the empire, which are now displaced by the un- 
picturesque and incommodious imitations of European cos- 
tume which the Sultan has condemned all his soldiers and 
employes to wear. The traveller, who, in witnessing some 
state procession of the present Sultan, is disappointed by the 
absence of that gay, dazzling magnificence and pomp, which 
attended the public displays of former Sultans, will, in this 
armoury, in some measure, find his expectations realized. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Mosque of St. Sophia — Mosque of Soleiman, the Magnificent — Mosque 

of Sultan Ahmed. 

The number of mosques in Constantinople has been stated 
at more than three hundred, most of which are composed of 
marble and covered with lead. The grand mosque of St. 
Sophia is the most renowned. This we visited next after the 
Seraglio. We entered the outer court through a file of 
guards, whose countenances wore a gloomy and discontented 
expression ; the zealous Mussulman always regards the intro- 
duction of Christians into their sanctuaries as a profanation. 
The gates were closed after us. Being obliged to take off our 
boots, we had provided ourselves with slippers, that we might 
not be compelled to proceed with bare feet. 

This splendid mosque was formerly a Greek church, the 
great Cathedral of St. Sophia, built by Constantino, and de- 
dicated to the Holy Wisdom, or Sancta Sophia. It is one of 
the most prodigious edifices that the genius of Christianity 
has reared on the earth ; but we feel, from the barbarous 
taste that has presided at the construction of this mass of 
stones, that it is the work of a period of corruption and decay 
in the arts. The fate of this illustrious monument of the new 
Greek architecture, during the last fifteen hundred years, from 
its first construction down to the present time, is sufficiently 
singular to deserve a circumstantial historical notice and de- 
scription. In the twentieth year of the reign of Constantino, 
A. D. 325, in the same year in which the Council of Nice 
was opened, and the foundations of the new city walls and 
palaces of Constantinople were laid, arose also the Temple of 
Divine Wisdom, the circuit of which was enlarged thirteen 
years afterwards by the emperor's son, Constantius. In the 
reign of Arcadius, A. D. 404, the church was burnt down, 
having been set on fire by the party of St. John of Chrysos- 
tom in the tumult excited by their being reduced to exile and 
want. Theodosius rebuilt it in the year 415, and conse- 
crated it on the llth January in the same year, in which, 
after the lapse of every ten years, the festival of the birth of 



184 ST. SOPHIA. 

the city was celebrated for the ninth time. In the fifth year 
of the reign of Justinian, it was burnt a second time, in the 
celebrated revolt of the parties of the Hippodrome, and was 
again reconstructed from the very foundations, with infinitely 
greater splendour and a much more ample circumference. 
The building was completed, December, 538. Twenty years 
afterwards, the eastern half of the dome fell in, and over- 
threw the holy table, the tabernacle, and the elevated terrace; 
but Justinian restored the injured church to still greater 
splendour and durability. 

The walls and arches were constructed of bricks, but the 
magnificence and variety of the marble columns surpassed 
all bounds. Every species of marble, granite, and porphyry, 
Phrygian white marble, with rose-coloured stripes, which 
imitated the blood of Atys, slain at Lynada ; green marble 
from Laconia; blue from Libya; black Celtic marble, with 
white veins ; Bosphorus marble, white with black veins ; 
Thessalian, Molossian, Proconessian marble; Egyptian starred 
granite and Saltish porphyry, were all employed. Amongst 
these, the largest and most beautiful were the eight porphyry 
columns which Aurelius had taken away from the Temple of 
the Sun at Baalbec, and the widow Marina had sent to Rome ; 
the eight green columns from the Temple of Diana at Ephe- 
sus, and those which were carried off from Troas, Cyzicus, 
Athens, and the Cyclades. Thus had all the temples of the 
old religions contributed to the construction of the Temple of 
Divine Wisdom, and the edifice of St. Sophia was supported 
on the columns of Isis and Osiris, on the pillars of the temples 
of the Sun and Moon at Heliopolis and Ephesus, on those of 
Pallas at Athens, of Phcebus at Delos, and of Cybele at Cyzi- 
cus. Sultan Mahomed, the Conqueror, built the two pillars 
which support the southeast side towards the sea, and a mi- 
naret. Sultan Selim 11. built the second adjoining, but some- 
what lower minaret; and Sultan Murad built the other two 
minarets on the opposite side towards the northeast. 

A hundred architects superintended its construction, under 
whom were placed a large number of masons, five thousand 
of whom worked on the right side, and five thousand on the 
left side, according to the plan laid down by an angel who 
appeared to the emperor in a dream. The angel, tradition 
affirms, appeared a second time, as a eunuch, in a brilliant 
white dress, on a Saturday, to a boy who was guarding the 
tools of the masons, and ordered him to bring the workmen 
immediately in order to hasten the building. As the boy re- 
fused, the gleaming eunuch swore by the Wisdom, that is, 



ST. SOPHIA. 185 

by the Word of God, that he would not depart until the boy- 
returned, and that he, in the mean time, would watch over 
the building. When the boy was led before the emperor, and 
could not find the eunuch who had appeared to him, the em- 
peror perceived, that it had been an angel ; and in order, that 
he might for ever keep his word as guardian of the temple, 
he sent away the boy laden with presents to pass the rest of 
his life in the Cyclades ; and resolved, according to the word 
of the angel, to dedicate the church to the Word of God, the 
Divine Wisdom. Again the angel appeared the third time 
as a eunuch, in a brilliant white garb, when the building 
was finished as far as the cupola ; but when money to finish 
it failed, he led the mules of the treasury into a subterranean 
vault, and laded them with 80 cwt. of gold, which they 
brought to the emperor, who immediately recognised the 
wonderful hand of the angel in this unexpected caravan of 
gold. Thus did an angel, as it is said, give the plan, the 
name, and the funds for the construction of this wonder of 
the middle ages. The emperor advanced the work by his 
presence, visiting the workmen instead of taking his custom- 
ary siesta, and hastening the progress of the building by ex- 
traordinary presents. During these visits, he was dressed in 
coarse linen, his head bound with a cloth ; and a stick in his 
hand. The mortar was made with barley-water, and the 
stones of the foundations were cemented with a mastic made 
of lime and barley-water. By the time, that the walls had 
been raised two yards above ground, 452 cwt. of gold had 
been already expended. The columns were bound, as well 
on the outside as within, with iron clamps, and covered within 
with lime and oil, and a stucco of many-coloured marble. 
The tiles on the arch of the cupolas, which astonished every 
beholder by their extraordinary lightness and boldness, were 
prepared at Rhodes of a particularly light clay, so that twelve 
of them did not weigh more than the weight of one ordinary 
tile. The chalk-white tiles bore the inscription : " God has 
founded it, and it will not be overthrown. God will support 
it in the blush of the dawn." When the building of the cupo- 
las at length began, the tiles were laid by twelves, and after 
each layer of twelve tiles, relics were built in, whilst the 
priests sang hymns and offered prayers for the durability of 
the edifice, and the prosperity of the church. 

When the niche in the form of a mussel, on the east side 
of the church, where the altar was to be placed, came to be 
finished, and a difference of opinion had arisen between the 
emperor and the architect, whether the light should fall 

16* 



186 ST. SOPHIA. 

through one or two open arched windows, the angel again 
appeared to the emperor, but clad in imperial purple, with 
red shoes, and instructed him that the light should fall upon 
the altar through three windows, in honour of the Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost. The altar was to be more costly than 
gold, and consequently it was composed of every species of 
precious materials, matted together with gold and silver, with 
crusted pearls and jewels ; and its cavity, which was called 
the sea, was then set with the most costly stones. Above 
the altar rose, in the form of a tower, the tabernacle, (cibo- 
rium,) on which rested a golden cupola, ornamented with 
golden lilies, between which was a golden cross, weighing 
seventy-five pounds, adorned with precious stones. The 
seven seats of the priests, together with the throne of the 
patriarch, which surrounded the holy altar in a semicircle 
from behind, were of silver-gilt. The altar was withdrawn 
from the eyes of the people by a wooden wall, and this wall, 
through which three doors, covered with a veil, led to the 
sanctuary, were ornamented with gilded pictures of saints, 
and twelve golden columns. The portion of the church from 
this wall of separation to the nave was called Solea, and at 
the end of it stood the reading-desk, or the pulpit, surrounded 
by a golden dais, with a gold cross weighing a hundred 
pounds, and glittering with carbuncles and pearls. Another, 
and termed a miraculous, silver-gilt cross, stood in the depo- 
sitory of the holy vessels. This cross, which was exactly of 
the same size as the real cross on which the Saviour suffered, 
brought from Jerusalem, cured the sick and drove out devils ! ! ! 
The sacred vessels destined for the twelve great feasts of 
the year, such as cups, goblets, dishes, and cans, were of the 
purest gold, and of the chalice-cloths, worked with pearls and 
jewels, were above forty-two thousand. Twenty-four co- 
lossal books of the Evangelists were kept in the temple, each 
of which, with its gold covering, weighed 20 cwt. The vine- 
formed candelabras for the high altar, the pulpit, the upper 
gallery for the females, and the vestibule, amounted to six 
thousand, of the purest gold. Besides these were two golden 
candelabras, adorned with carved figures, each weighing one 
hundred and eleven pounds, and seven golden crosses, each 
weighed an hundred pounds. The doors were of ivory, 
amber, and cedar ; the principal door silver-gilt, and three 
of them veneered with planks, said to be taken from Noah's 
ark! 1 ! The form of the holy font in the church was that of 
the celebrated Samaritan fountain ; and the four trumpets, 
which were blown above it by angels, were said to be the 



ST. SOPHIA. 187 

same at whose blast the walls of Jericho had been over- 
thrown ! ! ! The floor was originally intended to be paved 
with plates of gold ; but Justinian abandoned this idea, fear- 
ing that such a step might lead his successors to destroy the 
work for the sake of the gold. The ground was therefore 
paved with variegated marble, whose waving lines imitated 
the advance of the sea; so that, from the four corners of the 
temple, the apparently waving marble flood rolled onwards into 
the four vestibules, like the four rivers of Paradise. The cost 
of such a building, and its rich furniture, weighed heavily on 
the people and all classes of the public functionaries, through 
the newly imposed taxes, insomuch that the salaries even of 
the professors were applied to its construction. 

The fore-court, at present called the Harem, enclosed in 
its centre a water-spout of jasper, in order that the holy 
ground should not be trodden by the visiters with unwashed 
feet. But the priests had their own washing-place within the 
church, to the right of the women's gallery, where twelve 
shells received the rain-water, twelve lions, twelve leopards, 
and twelve does spouted it out again. 

Sixteen years were occupied in collecting the materials, 
and in erecting and finishing the building^. When it was 
finished, and furnished with all the sacred vessels, the Empe- 
ror, on Christmas eve, in the year 538, drove with four 
horses from the palace above the Augusteon to the church, 
slaughtered a thousand oxen, a thousand sheep, six hundred 
deer, a thousand pigs, ten thousand chickens, and, during 
three hours, thirty thousand measures of corn were distributed 
among the poor. Accompanied by the Patriarch Eutychius, 
he entered the church, and then ran from the entrance of the 
halls to the pulpit, where, with outstretched arms, he cried, 
" God be praised, who hath esteemed me worthy to complete 
such a Work. Solomon I I have surpassed thee !" After the 
distribution of the corn, three hundred weight of gold were di- 
vided among the people. On the following morning, Christ- 
mas day, the church was, for the first time opened, and the 
sacrifices and thanksgivings continued fourteen days. 

St. Sophia is in the form of a Grecian cross, of which the 
upper end, where stood the altar, is turned towards the east, 
the lower end towards the west, and the two sides towards the 
north and south. The interior of the building measures two 
hundred and sixty-nine by one hundred and forty-three feet. 
Three of its sides are surrounded by vaulted colonnades, 
covered with cupolas. The fourth side forms the entrance 
side of the mosque itself. The mosque is preceded by a long 



188 ST. SOPHIA. 

and wide peristyle, covered in and closed, like that of St. 
Peter's at Rome. Columns of granite, of great height, but 
encased in the walls, and making part of them, separate this 
vestibule from the court. Immediately to the right of the 
gate of the principal entrance rises the ancient belfry of the 
Church of St. Sophia, which appears, however, in its modest 
elevation, exceedingly humble, by the side of the minarets 
built at the four corners of the church. On the top of the 
minarets glitter highly gilded crescents, (the ancient arms of 
Byzantium,) the largest being on the cupola, instead of its 
former cross. It is fifty yards in diameter, and Sultan Murad 
III. is said to have expended fifty thousand ducats on its gilding 
alone. This crescent is visible one hundred miles out at sea, 
and is seen from the top of the Bithynian Olympus, glittering 
in the sunshine. Close to the ancient belfry, on the right, 
flows the water of the great cistern, which occupies the 
greater portion of the extent of the temple, with subterranean 
water-vaults. This arrangement of fountains is not the only 
one provided for the legitimate use of the faithful ; for, in the 
centre of the fore-court, where formerly stood the great water- 
spout, flows the water of a fountain. Immediately outside 
the wall of the fore-court, in the street which leads from the 
principal street to the side-gate, is also a fountain ; and an- 
other on the outer side of the southeast of the minaret. 

After having descended twelve steps from the side door of 
the south front, and then mounted the lofty rising ascent to 
the female choir, (which rises without steps, and so gra- 
dually, that one may easily ride up it,) when standing in the 
middle of it, just above the inner hall, and above the three 
centre gates of the church, one sees, at a glance, the magni- 
ficent grandeur of the edifice, together with the wonderful 
dome, balanced, as it were, in the air ; to which are attached 
a small half dome on the east and west sides ; to which are 
again joined, on either side, three small cupolas; so that the 
roof of the temple rising by steps, consists of nine cupolas; 
of which the great dome forms the highest summit, from 
which the eye descends to the two half-domes, and from 
thence to the three small cupolas. The great cupola is so 
flatly vaulted, that its height is only a sixth part of its dia- 
meter, which measures one hundred and fifteen feet. The 
centre of the dome is elevated one hunjdlred and eighty feet 
above the ground. The cupola, which is lined with mosaic 
work, rests on pillars of marble, and has a fine effect ; but it 
does not give sufficient light to the building. The general 
style of the ornaments shows that it was calculated for noc- 



ST SOPHIA. 189 

turnal illuminations. It must, indeed, have a brilliant ap- 
pearance when lighted by its myriads of lamps, and its ceiling 
must glitter like the firmament. In the cupola is inscribed, 
in the most beautiful writing, the well-known Arabian verse 
of the Koran : " God is the Light of the Heavens and the 
Earth." The length of these letters is ten yards ; this sen- 
tence is illuminated during the nights of the Ramazan, by a 
sea of rays from some thousands of lamps, which, suspended 
in a triple circle above each other, trace out the vault of the 
dome. This string of lamps, on which lights are alternately 
suspended, with ostrich eggs, artificial flowers, and bunches of 
tinsel, are found in all the mosques, richly adorned in pro- 
portion to their size, and producing, when lighted, a singu- 
larly magic effect. The lamps hang like so many fixed stars 
on the great firmament ; the ostrich eggs by which they are 
surrounded, illuminating them like the planets ; and between ^ 
the fixed stars, the bundles of tinsel throw out their bearded 
and tailed lights, like comets. 

Near the four great columns which support the dome, are 
four others, two towards the east, and two towards the west, 
which, placed in a halfcircle with the larger ones, support the 
three semicircular cupolas on each side. In the four inter- 
vening spaces of the great and small columns, stands, two 
and two, porphyry pillars with capitals and pedestals of the 
most exquisitely beautiful white marble. Eight porphyry 
columns from the Roman Temple of the Sun, of Aurelian, 
which the Roman patrician Marina, received as her dowry, 
and made over to Justinian ; on the north and south sides, 
between the great columns, on either hand, four pillars of the 
most beautiful green granite support the gallery of the female 
choir. The other four and twenty columns of Egyptian 
granite, which support the weight of the galleries on both 
sides, are arranged four and four in the six four-cornered di- 
visions which are formed by the large columns and ascents to 
the choir on the north and south sides of the church. These 
twenty-four pillars of Egyptian granite, the former eight of 
serpentine or green marble, and the eight of porphyry, make 
together the number forty, so beloved amongst Eastern people, 
which is generally received in buildings of pomp, as a num- 
ber of grandeur and splendour. On these forty columns of 
the basement, rest sixty of the gallery. Finally, above the 
doors, are four middle-sized and three small columns, so that 
the whole number of all the columns is one hundred and 
seven, the mystic number of columns bestowed to support the 
House of Wisdom. 



190 ST. SOPHIA. 

The traditions of the Moslems have superadded to the his- 
torical records of St. Sophia, a notice of several curiosities 
which are exhibited to the Turks. Amongst others, an ex- 
cavated block of red marble is exhibited as the cradle of the 
Saviour, and not far from it is a sort of cup, in which Jesus 
is said to have been washed by Mary, and which, together 
with the cradle, were brought hither from Bethlehem. These 
are but Turkish tales, not even alluded to in Byzantine works. 
They also exhibit the " sweating column," the " cold win- 
dow," and the " shining stone," a spot visited by Moslem pil- 
grims as miraculous. The sweating column is in the lowest 
quadrangle, on the left hand of the entrance to the northern 
gate out of the fore-court, and the dampness which it emits is 
considered as a miraculous cure for disorders. Not far from 
the gate where the Sultan proceeds from the square of the 
Seraglio to the mosque, is a window facing the north, where 
the fresh wind ever blows. The shining stone in the upper 
gallery, in a window turned towards the west, is a clear trans- 
parent stone, by many considered an onyx, but in reality, a 
pure Persian marble, which, being transparent, imbibes the 
rays of light, and when shone upon by the sun, reflects them 
in the most sparkling manner. In the upper part of the 
building, they pointed out to us a door walled up to prevent 
the devil's entrance ; as tradition affirmed that, if ever his 
Satanic majesty troubled the building, he would enter by that 
door ! We were also shown a window, always kept open, to 
give free ingress and egress to the guardian angel of the 
house ! 

The illumination of the mosque in the seven holy nights of 
Islam, especially in the night of the Predestination, (the 27th 
of the fast month, Ramazan,) in which the Koran was sent 
down from Heaven, is represented as being splendid beyond 
all conception. In this night the Sultan repairs with his 
whole suite to " Aja Sofia," and after having there attended 
the night service, he retires amidst a procession bearing innu- 
merable many-coloured lanterns to the Seraglio, where the 
Sultana Walide brings to him a pure virgin. During those 
nights and at the grand festivals of the Bairam, the whole 
numerous priesthood of the Mosque are in full movement and 
in the exercise of their duties. They perform for the most 
part, under names of a similar signification, tlie services of 
the old clergy, which consisted of some hundred priests, dea- 
cons, sub-deacons, readers, singers, door-keepers, and lamp- 
lighters, who were not less endowed than the servants of the 
mosque. 



MOSaiJE OF SOLEIMAN. 191 

The numerous clergy of the once christian Church of St. 
Sophia, thus disgustingly imitated by these Turkish priests; 
besides a troop of holy virgins dedicated to God, together 
with a multitude of people of all classes, had crowded into the 
church of St. Sophia, and sought refuge and succour at the 
altar, when Mohammed, at the head of the Osmans, rode 
victoriously into the city. With difficulty his charger sepa- 
rated the dense crowd of the wretched fugitives, and when he 
reached the high altar, he sprang from his horse, exclaiming, 
"There is no God but God, and Mohammed is his prophet 1" 
This desecration was the signal for the violation of the sanc« 
tuary. The vessels of the temple and of purity, the chalices 
and the virgins, became a prey to the lust of the conquerors, 
and instead of the pious worship of Divine Wisdom, the carnal 
Sophia held a bloody festival of vengeance and of license in 
the desecrated house of the Lord. 

We next visited the Mosque of Soleiman the Magnificent. 
This is the most glorious monument of Ottoman architecture, 
built under the greatest of the Ottoman Sultans, in a style of 
grandeur worthy of the splendour of his reign. The quad- 
rangle of the mosque is enclosed on the entrance side by the 
fore-court, and from the side of the high altar by the church- 
yard. In the middle of the former, which is called the Harem, 
is the fountain for the regular purifications before prayer; in 
the second, which is commonly called the Garden, rise the 
cupolas of the mausoleums of the founder, his consort and 
children. These three quadrangles, which together form an 
oblong, are surrounded by a wall, which forms the large ex- 
terior court. The court immediately facing the entrance, in 
the middle of which stands the fountain, covered with a 
cupola, is surrounded on the three other sides with colon- 
nades, which are covered with twenty-eight small domes, of 
which seven stand to the right and left before the entrance of 
the mosque, and on the opposite side nine stand in a row. 
At the four corners of the fore-court rise the four minarets, 
of unequal height. 

This mosque is apparently built entirely after the pattern 
of St. Sophia, but with the design to surpass it ; and, as re- 
gards regularity of the plan, the perfection of the principal 
parts, and the harmony of the whole, that design appears to 
have been fully attained. The eye is not shocked here, as 
in the Church of St. Sophia, by the distortion and perversion 
of the pure Greek taste. The whole system of the cupolas 
is apparently imitated from that of St. Sophia. The dome is 
supported by four walled columns, between which, to the right 



192 MOSaUE OF SOLEIMAN. 

and left, two on each side, the four largest columns of Con- 
stantinople are distributed. They nneasure thirteen feet in 
circunnference on the ground, and their height is in propor- 
tion. The capitals of these four columns are of white marfele, 
and shine like wreaths of lilies on the memorials of the past, 
whose associations lie buried beneath them. They support 
the double gallery which runs around on both sides, and in 
which treasure chambers are introduced, in which private 
individuals deposit their ready money when they set out on 
their travels, or when they do not consider it safe in their 
own houses from the hand of despotism, which dare not 
extend its grasp over the pledges deposited in the mosques, or 
the pious endowments attached to them. Under these galle- 
ries are built, on the ground, terrace-formed sofas of stone, 
on low stumps of pillars, intended for the appointed readers 
of the Koran, who, at stated hours, here read it in parts. 
The altar, the pulpit, and the praying-place of the Sultan, are 
of white marble, ornamented with sculpture. Close to the 
altar stand two gigantic candelabras, of gilded metal, on 
which proportionately thick wax candles replace the light 
which is here interrupted. 

The mosque, with its fore-court (Harem) and churchyard, 
is surrounded by an exterior fore-court, which measures a 
thousand paces, and has ten gates. Attached to this mosque 
are endowments of wisdom, piety, and benevolence, that is, 
three schools, four academies for the four sects of the faith- 
ful, another for the reading of the Koran, a school of medi- 
cine, an hospital, a kitchen for the poor, a resting-place for 
travellers, a library, and a house of refuge for strangers. 

On the cistern which looked towards St. Sophia was the 
statue of Solomon, in bronze, which looked with embarrass- 
ment and surprise towards the church, as if to acknowledge 
that the splendour of his temple must yield to this building; 
and, as Justinian himself exclaimed, from the holy altar, on 
the day of the consecration, " I have conquered thee, O So- 
lomon I" so speaks the shade of Soleiman from its tomb, 
facing St. Sophia, " I have surpassed thee, O Justinian !" 

The Mosque of Sultan Ahmed occupies a part of the Hip- 
podrome, and is not only the chief of all the mosques, but is 
the only one in the whole Ottoman Empire which has six 
minarets. The most remarkable feature, in this mosque is 
the four enormous columns, whose thickness bears no propor- 
tion to their height, and each of which consists of three parts. 
The circumference of each measures thirty-six yards. They 
support the dome, and rise outside, at its four sides, like so 



MOSQUE OF AHMED. 193 

many small towers. The cupola of the great dome is sur- 
rounded by four half cupolas, each of which is joined by two 
entirely round cupolas, which form, exactly behind the four 
enormous pillars, the four corners of the mosque, which, 
therefore, appears on the outside to be composed of nine 
cupolas. 

On both sides of the Mihrab stand two enormous candela- 
bras, whose size, as well as the thickness of the wax candles, 
is in proportion to the gigantic size of the four columns. To 
the right, is the pulpit for the Friday preacher, a master-piece 
of art, of hewn stone, according to the pattern of the pulpit 
at Mecca, covered with a gilded crown, above which rises 
the gilded crescent. None of the mosques are so rich in 
valuables of every kind, which are here partly preserved, 
partly suspended on the wreath of the lamps and in the 
mosque ilself. Its founder, Sultan Ahmed the First, richly 
endowed this his favourite work, and his example was fol- 
lowed by the nobility. Thus the Governor of Abyssinia sent 
six lamps, set in emeralds, suspended in golden chains. 
Korans of every form, and in the most beautiful writing, lie 
on gilded cushions inlaid with mother-of-pearl. 

It is said that many of the other mosques are large and 
splendid ; but, having visited the principal, we directed our 
attention to other objects of interest. 



17 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Atmeidan — Burnt Column — Fires — Column of Theodosius — Cistern of 
Constantine — Aqueduct of Valens — Hans — Fountains — Baths — Streets 
— View from a Tower — Sweet Water — Sight of the Sultan — Illumina- 
tion — Birth-day of Mahomet — Procession — Naval Dock-yard — Bar- 
racks — Schools — Military College — Model Farm — Military Hospital 
— Plague Hospital — Suburbs — Mosque of Eyoub — Okmeidan. 

The most celebrated of all the squares of ancient or modern 
Constantinople, Atmeidan, lies to the south-east of St. Sophia. 
At present it is only two hundred and fifty paces long, and 
one hundred and fifty broad, having formerly comprised a 
part of the space now occupied by the mosque of Sultan 
Ahmed. It was formed by the Emperor Severus. He was 
obliged to' leave a portion of it unfinished, in consequence of 
the news that the Gauls threatened Rome. The steps of 
white marble were carried off in the reign of Solyman the 
Great, by Ibrahim Pacha, who thrice occupied the post of 
Grand Vizier, to build his palace, situated in the neighbour- 
hood ; and the pillars in the lower gallery, which were still 
seen by Gylles, some standing, and some on the ground, be- 
came the building materials of a mosque. 

The obelisk of granite, or Thebaic stone, is still in the At- 
meidan ; it is a square pyramid, of one single piece, about 
fifty feet high, terminating in a point, covered with hierogly- 
phics, now unintelligible; a proof, however, of its being very 
ancient, and wrought in Egypt. By the Greek and Latin in- 
scriptions at the base, we learn that the Emperor Theodosius 
caused it to be set up again, after it had lain on the ground a 
considerable time. The machines which were made use of in 
raising it, are represented in bas-relief. 

Close by are seen ihe remains of another obelisk, with four 
faces, built with different pieces of marble ; the tip of it has 
fallen, and the rest cannot long continue. This obelisk was 
covered over with brazen plates, as is apparent from the holes 
made to receive the pegs that fastened them to the marble. 
These plates were set off with bas-reliefs and other ornaments, 



BURNT COLUMN FIRES COLUMN OP THEODOSIUS. 195 

for the inscription at the bottom speaks of it as a work alto- 
gether marvellous. 

The Burnt Column stands in the street called Adrianople, 
and well may it be so called, for it is so black and smoke- 
dried by the frequent fires that have happened to the houses 
in the vicinity, it is no easy matter to find out of what it is 
made. But, upon a close inspection, it appears to be of por- 
phyry stones, the jointures hid with copper rings. It is 
thought that Constantino's statue stood on its summit. By 
the inscription we learn, that " that admirable piece of work- 
manship was restored by the most pious Emperor Manuel 
Commenes." 

Fires in Constantinople are of frequent occurrence. The 
alarm is given by the patrol striking on the pavement with 
their iron-shod staves, and calling loudly " Yangen var 1" 
(There is fire I) On which the firemen assemble, and all the 
inhabitants of the neighbourhood are immediately on the alert. 
If it be not quickly subdued, all the ministers of state are 
obliged to attend ; and if it threaten extensive ravages, the 
Sultan himself must appear, to encourage the efforts of the 
firemen. A fire that has continued an hour, and has been 
thrice proclaimed, forces the Sultan on the spot. This custom 
has often been the cause of fires, as the people take this method 
of making their grievances known to the Sultan in person. 
The devouring element sometimes overwhelms, in a common 
ruin, the property of infidels and true believers, till the shouts 
of the multitude announce the approach of the arch-despot, 
and the power of a golden shower of sequins is exemplified in 
awakening the callous feelings of even a Turkish multitude to 
the sufferings of their fellow-creatures. 

The Column of Theodosius, within the Seraglio garden, is 
of the Corinthian order, and fifty feet in height. It is sur- 
mounted by a handsome capital of verde antique, and it bears 
the following inscription : " Fortunse Reduci ob devictos 
Gothos." 

The Cistern of Constantino, now called Binderik, or the 
thousand and one pillars, and Yerebatan Serai, the subterra- 
nean palace, is at a little distance from the Burnt Column, in 
a quarter of the town anciently called Lausus. It has now 
the appearance of a suite of gloomy dungeons, and was occu- 
pied, at one time, by a number of half-naked, pallid wretches, 
employed in twisting silk through all the long corridors, by 
the glare of torches. The roof of this reservoir, apparently 
that of Philoxenus, was supported by a double tier, consisting 



196 AQUEDUCT OF VALENS HANS. 

altogether of four hundred and twenty-four pillars, of which 
only the upper half are now cleared from the earth. 

The Aqueduct of Valens, is in a thinly inhabited part of the 
town, near At-Bazar, (the horse-market,) connecting what 
are called the third and fourth hills. The double row of 
Gothic arches seem to have been rebuilt by Soleiman out of 
the old materials of intermixed stone and tile, and probably 
in the ancient form. Although still used to convey water, it 
is half in ruins, and has the decay without the grace of anti- 
quity ; but these mighty arches, these aerial chambers, the 
admiration of the Byzantines, have, as an architectural monu- 
ment, nothing either grand or agreeable. 

The one hundred and eighty Hans of Constantinople are so 
many immense stone barracks, or closed squares, which have 
every recommendation except architectural elegance. The 
court of Valide-Han is considered one of the best in the city, 
is ornamented with a thin grove of trees, with two handsome 
fountains ; and the building, besides warehouses and stables 
on the ground floor, has three stories, or galleries, one above 
the other, with ranges of small chambers, each of which is 
kept neat and clean by the servants of the han, and fitted up 
for the time, with the carpets and slender wardrobe of the 
several occupiers. The generality of the bans are for travel- 
ing merchants, but the chambers are sometimes let out as 
counting-houses to natives, whose dwellings are in some of 
the suburbs, or in some distant quarter of the city. These 
useful edifices are the work of the Ottoman Sultans, and of 
other munificent individuals, so that strangers, with the ex- 
ception of a small present to the servant on departing, are 
gratuitously lodged, and, during their residence in the city, 
are masters of their rooms, of which they keep the keys. 
They are for all men, of whatever quality, condition, country, 
or religion ; and there the poorest have room to lodge in, and 
the richest have no more. The construction of them has con- 
tributed to attract the merchants and the merchandise of the 
most remote boundaries of Africa and Asia, to the capital of 
Turkey. During fires or insurrections, their iron gates are 
closed, and they afford complete security to the persons, as 
well as the goods, of the merchants. 

Water is to the Eastern the symbol of the principle of life, 
and the words of the Koran, " By water every thing lives," 
is almost universally inscribed on the great fountains. 

The cold spring close to the gate of the Seraglio, is called 
after it, between the Aai Kiosk and the great gate of the Se- 



FOUNTAINS BATHS. 197 

raglio. The fountain before the great gate of the Seraglio, 
built in the reign of Ahmed III., is a large quadrangular 
water castle, the roof of which bends out like a pagoda. On 
all the four great sides, gold inscriptions, on azure ground, 
celebrate the praise of this treasure, whose waters far excel 
those of the sacred fountain of Mekka, and of the Well of 
Paradise. 

Notwithstanding the praise which the inscription of the 
first fountain contains, its water is still not the best at Con- 
stantinople. The preference belongs to that of Simeon's 
Fountain, before the gate of the old Seraglio, which faces the 
east. Mahomet II., after having had all the water of the 
capital analyzed by connoisseurs, found this spring the light- 
est, and immediately ordered that every day, three horse- 
loads, each of twenty okes, should be brought to the new 
Seraglio in silver bottles. These bottles were closed in the 
presence of the superintendent of the water, by persons sent 
for the purpose, with soft red wax, on which a seal was 
placed. 

The fountain of the Sultan Ahmed is in the street of the 
Porte, near the iron gate of the Seraglio. The fountain of 
the Sultana Seineb, is exactly opposite " Aja Sofia." Such, 
with the fountain of Top-hanna, are amongst the most beau- 
tiful ornaments of the city. They are innumerable, and well 
repay the lingering regards of the traveller, by the beauty of 
their structure, the comfort they afford to the population, and 
the various inscriptions with which they abound. 

About one hundred and thirty baths are dispersed through- 
out various parts of the city. Some of them are constructed 
of marble ; but, in general, their external appearance presents 
nothing very remarkable. They are divided into a number 
of circular rooms, lighted from the top by cupolas ihickly 
perforated, and studded with small hemispherical glasses. 
The rooms are sufficiently spacious to admit a number of 
bathers at the same time. The outer apartment is the largest. 
A considerable number of men may be seen there lying on 
separate couches, reposing after their ablutions. The Frank 
may enter into any of them on the days not set apart for the 
women. 

None of the streets of Constantinople have any names, nor 
are the houses numbered. The districts alone are desig- 
nated, generally by the name of the mosque, or most con- 
spicuous object in each, so that the stranger is left to find his 
way as he can. They have no lamps in the streets, nor any 
other light whatever, as none is required by the Turks, who 

17* 



198 SWEET-WATER VIEW OF THE SULTAN. 

retire to their homes at sunset, and rarely quit them until the 
following day. Should they be forced to do so, one or more 
large paper lanterns are carried before them ; and if any 
person be found without a light, he is taken up by the police 
and fined. 

They have no post-office in the city, which to the Turks is 
a matter of indifference ; but one has been established at 
Pera, by the foreigners residing in the place. 

We ascended to the top of a very high tower in Stamboul, 
from which we had a very extensive and interesting prospect, 
embracing nearly all the Sea of Marmora, with its beautiful 
islands ; the mountains beyond covered with snow ; the nu- 
merous mosques about the city with their towers and lofty 
minarets ; the Golden Horn with its fleets ; and the Bosphorus, 
almost to the Black Sea. The view from this tower sur- 
passed every thing of the kind which I ever enjoyed ; and 
probably is not surpassed by any other in the world. I was 
the last of the company to leave the tower, and when I did, it 
was with reluctance. 

We visited Sweet-Water, a fashionable watering-place, 
several miles from the city. Many had assembled, and thou- 
sands were stiir arriving, both by water and land-carriage. 
The carriages called Araba, are of singular construction, and 
are the only wheeled pleasure-carriages in use among the 
Turks. They have long bodies, highly carved and gilded, 
are drawn by oxen, with their tails tied forward towards their 
heads, fancifully trimmed with ribands, and filled with soft 
cushions, in which the Turkish and Armenian women almost 
bury themselves. The people were here scattered over a 
beautiful park, filled with trees, and covered with a luxuriant 
growth of grass, on which thousands were lying, sitting, and 
walking, enjoying vocal and instrumental music, and par- 
taking of all kinds of refreshments offered for sale. The 
Sultan has a Palace here, and is frequently seen on the 
ground surrounded by his officers. We had a pleasant row 
in caiques to and from the place. 

It was announced that the Sultan would make his appear- 
ance on the morrow at a mosque in Top-hanna. Of course, 
we were all anxious to obtain a sight of the arch-despot. 
Thousands and tens of thousands crowded the vicinity of the 
landing, until every spot was literally jammed by the im- 
mense crowd. We selected the best position we could obtain 
after our arrival on the ground, and after waiting some half 
hour or more, the cannon at the Seraglio and on board the 
shipping, announced his departure from the Palace. He was 



PROCESSION. 199 

soon rowed across the mouth of the Golden Horn, and arrived 
at the landing near where we stood. But the crowd was so 
dense that I did not obtain a sight of his highness. In about 
fifteen minutes he was to return from the mosque; we ob- 
tained a more favourable situation, and had a good sight of 
his person. The same night, all the mosques and other 
public buildings in Constantinople, and the Turkish shipping 
in the harbour, were splendidly illuminated. The lofty 
minarets shooting so high above every other surrounding ob- 
ject, exhibited a most conspicuous and prominent glare of 
light. Stamboul and the Golden Horn seemed to be in one 
blaze of fire. The whole scene, as viewed^ from the top of the 
hill in Pera, was grand and splendid beyond conception. 
This illumination was intended as a celebration of the birth- 
day of Mahomet. 

The next day (April twenty-third,) the Sultan visited the 
Mosque of Achmed in great state. We secured a room in a 
house on the line of march, a most favourable situation, com- 
manding the extent of the street for nearly three-fourths of a 
mile towards the Seraglio, where the Sultan and his suite 
were to join the procession. The whole distance from the 
Seraglio to the Mosque was protected by a double row of 
military, well armed, standing on each side of the street, and 
leaving an open space of about fifteen or twenty feet between 
them, through which the procession was to pass. The in- 
ferior officers of government first made their appearance, 
marching two and two ; next, those higher in rank, in the 
same order, all dressed in the most brilliant costume; after 
these the Sultan himself appeared, surrounded by some fifteen 
or twenty persons on foot, carrying handsomely decorated 
banners. Excepting these last, all rode upon fine Arabian 
horses, richly caparisoned in the true Eastern style; their 
splendid saddle-cloths, trimmed and ornamented in a most 
gorgeous manner, nearly covering the horses. A profusion 
of red, intermixed with the most brilliant colours, in the 
dresses of the riders, and in the trappings of their spirited 
animals, gave to the whole pageant an imposing appearance. 
The procession consisted of governors, pachas, and other high 
functionaries from all parts of the Turkish Empire. The 
Sultan is a small man, young, in the prime of life, and pre- 
possessing in his appearance. He fixed his eye upon our 
company at the window, during the whole timeof his passing 
the house, and thus gave us a pleasant recognisance as 
strangers welcome to his capital. This is the only way, except- 
ing in an audience at his palace, by which he is to be under- 



200 NAVAL DOCK-YARD. 

stood as expressing his pleasure. The multitude assembled 
in the streets on this occasion, must have numbered hundreds 
of thousands. 

The naval dock-yard, situated at the upper end of the 
Golden Horn, in the suburb of Cassim Pacha, is well worth a 
visit from every stranger while in Constantinople. The water 
is deep enough to float large ships of war close to the land, 
and the enclosure comprises docks, workshops, stores, and 
steam engines. Great activity universally prevails. The 
artificers are chiefly Greeks and Armenians. The director 
of ship-building, Mr. Rhodes, is an American of great talent 
and reputation. The enormous ships of war lately built in 
this dock-yard, excite the astonishment of every one who be- 
holds them. Some of these carry one hundred and forty 
guns of great calibre, and rise to a prodigious height above 
the water ; the guns, sails, &c. are of the best materials. 
Their crews frequently amount to two thousand men, chiefly 
boys, drawn by conscription, boatmen of the Bosphorus or 
Rayah Greeks, and are therefore wretchedly manned. The 
Turks have made the most astonishing progress of late 
years in naval science. In the rear of the dock-yard are 
the picturesque ruins of a palace formerly the residence of 
the Capifan Pacha, the Lord High Admiral of the Turkish 
empire. 

Barracks have been erected in different parts of the metro- 
polis and vicinity by the late Sultan. Four vast quadrangu- 
lar buildings have been erected on the European side, with- 
out the walls ; and one at Scutari, founded by Selim, has 
been restored. Within Stamboul are three or four smaller 
ones for infantry, one for cavalry at Dolma Bashee, two for 
artillery at Top-hanna, and a handsome edifice on the hill 
beyond Pera. In all the great barracks are schools, where 
young men are prepared for the military service. In addi- 
tion to the numerous seminaries attached to the mosques, 
various other institutions have been founded by the govern- 
ment. 

The Military College, which occupies the hill above Dolma 
Bashee, is one of the most important of these institutions. 
Three hundred students are lodged, fed, and instructed gra- 
tuitously for the army. Many of the professors are Euro- 
peans, and European languages are taught by them. This 
college is under the very efficient superintendence of Azmi 
Bey, who resided in England for some little time. 

Nearly opposite the Military College, is a model farm, 
worked by an Englishman and his family, under the protec- 



MILITARY HOSPITAL PLAGUE HOSPITAL SUBURBS. 201 

tion of the Turkish government, for the purpose of improving 
Turkish agriculture, and affording to all, who desire it, the 
means of information. 

The Military Hospital is one of the most remarkable of the 
Turkish institutions. It is situated on a hillock, on the west 
of Stamboul, where, according to tradition, Mohammed placed 
his cannon, when directed against the city in the last siege. 
The establishment is admirably regulated ; the different wards 
are clean and well-ventilated. The medical men are of dif- 
ferent nations, and speak French and Italian with great 
fluency. No plague patients are admitted into the military 
hospitals. When a suspected case appears, the patient is re- 
moved to an isolated house at a little distance in the country. 
Every precaution is used to prevent this malady from getting 
into the barracks. A small wooden room at the entrance of 
each is allotted to fumigation ; here each soldier is shut up 
on his return from the city, and aromatic herbs are burned 
beneath, that the smoke ascending through the boards may 
remove the danger of contagion ; a practice which has proved 
very beneficial. When the plague rages in the capital, en- 
campments are formed in the mountains, where families and 
persons suspected of infection are sent, and kept apart in 
tents under a military guard. The Plague Hospital is an 
establishment which few strangers have courage or inclina- 
tion to visit. Of course, we did not visit it, and I can give 
no detailed description. 

The suburbs of Constantinople are very extensive. Galata 
is the largest, and is the principal seat of commerce, and is 
the usual landing-place from the Sea of Marmora. The walls 
form a circuit of four miles along the base, and on the accli- 
vities of the hill ; in some parts they are so intermingled with 
the houses, as to be undistinguishable. The Frank popula- 
tion, a designation applied by the Turks to all Europeans, 
predominates at Galata. Pera occupies the summit of a pro- 
montory, and is the residence of foreign ambassadors, and 
their dragomans. Top-hanna is the smallest of the suburbs, 
forming a continuation of Galata along the northern shore, 
and thence sweeping around the eastern point of the Penin- 
sula to the Bosphorus. Cassim Pacha is an extensive suburb 
west of Galata and Pera, from which it is separated by vast 
burying grounds. The village of Eyoub, a beautiful and pic- 
turesque suburb, is situated on the west shore of the Perami 
canal, near its extremity, and surrounded by gardens and 
cemeteries, thickly planted with the dark cypress. Stamboul, 
the city proper, has its north boundary on the harbour of 



202 MosauB OF eyoub — okmeidan. 

Perami ; its south on the Sea of Marmora. The Seraglio, 
which embraces within its walls ten thousand souls, is like- 
wise considered one of the suburbs of the city. It is difficult 
to ascertain the amount of population in Constantinople, with 
any degree of accuracy, as no arrangements are made by 
the government for taking the census ; including the suburbs, 
it is estimated at about one million. 

In the village of Eyoub, Mohammed II. erected a mauso- 
leum and mosque over the spot said to be the place of sepul- 
chre of Eyoub, or Job, the standard-bearer and companion in 
arms of the prophet Mahomet. In this mosque the Ottoman 
sultans are inaugurated, by girding on them the sword of 
Othman, the founder of the monarchy. The mosque is ele- 
gantly constructed of white marble. No Christian is allowed 
to enter the mosque, or reside in the village. 

On the heights beyond Pera, behind St. Demetri and Cas- 
sim Pacha, is the Okmeidan, or Place of Arrows, where the 
sultans frequently repair to exercise themselves in shooting 
with the bow and arrow. Great distance more than accuracy 
of aim, as indicating strength, seems to be the object sought 
by the archers in these trials ; and scattered over these 
heights will be found small stone obelisks, marking spots 
where the late sultan's arrows fell, commemorating the dis- 
tance they were shot. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Manners and Customs — Turkish Houses — Reception of Visiters— Pipes 
— Coffee — Visiter Retiring — Hospitality — Polygamy — Honesty — 
Truth — Devotion to Religion — Mahommedan Year — Ramazan — Bai- 
rarn — Commerce. 

Nothing can be more striking than the contrast of customs 
among the Turks and those of Western Europe. A cele- 
brated traveller has drawn the following picture, exhibiting 
the manners and customs of Turks compared with Christian 
nations : 

" Europeans commemorate the laying of the foundation 
stone; Turks celebrate the covering in of the roof. Among 
the Turks, a beard is a mark of dignity; with us, of negli- 
gence. — Shaving the head is, with Turks, a custom ; with us, 
a punishment for some criminal offence. — We take off our 
gloves before sovereigns ; they cover their hands with their 
sleeves. — We enter our apartments with our heads uncover- 
ed ; they enter an apartment with their feet uncovered. — 
With them the men have their necks and arms naked; with 
us, women have their arms and necks naked. — With us the 
women parade in gay colours, and the men in sombre ; with 
them, in both cases, it is the reverse. — With us, the men ogle 
the women ; in Turkey, the women ogle the men.— -With us, 
the lady looks shy and bashful ; in Turkey, it is the gentle- 
man. In Europe, a lady cannot visit a gentleman ; in 
Turkey, she can. — In Turkey, a gentleman cannot visit a 
lady; in Europe, he can. — In Turkey, the ladies always 
wear trowsers, and the gentlemen may wear petticoats ; with 
us, ladies wear petticoats, and gentlemen pantaloons. — In our 
rooms, commonly, the ceiling is white, and the wall coloured; 
with them, the wall is white, and the ceiling coloured. — With 
us, the schoolmaster appeals to the authority of the parent; 
with them, the parent has to appeal to the superior authority 
and responsibility of the schoolmaster. — Their children have 
the manners of men ; our men, the manners of children. — 
Amongst us, masters require characters with their servants ; 
in Turkey, servants inquire into the characters of masters. — 



204 MANNERS AND CUSTOMS TURKISH HOUSES. 

We consider dancing a polite recreation; they consider it a 
disgraceful avocation. — In Turkey, religion restrains the im- 
position of political taxes : in many parts of Europe, the 
government imposes taxes for religion. — In some countries of 
Europe, the religion of the state exacts contributions from 
sectarians; in Turkey, the religion of the state protects the 
property of sectarians against government taxes. — The Euro- 
pean would marvel how, without lawyers, law can be admi- 
nistered ; the Turk would marvel how, with lawyers, justice 
can be obtained. — The Turk will be horrified at prostitution 
and bastardy; the European, at polygamy. — The European 
will term the Turk pompous and sullen; the Turk will call 
the European flippant and vulgar. — It may, therefore, be 
imagined how interesting, friendly, and harmonious, must be 
the intercourse between the two !" 

Perhaps it will not be amiss to give, in this place, some de- 
scription of the Turkish dwellings. In these dwellings the 
room is the principal of all architecture; it is the unit, of 
which the house is the aggregate. No one cares for the ex- 
ternal form of a building intended for a family residence. Its 
proportions, its elegance, or effect, are never considered. 
The architect, as the proprietor, thinks only of the apart- 
ments, and here no deviation from fixed principles is tolerated. 
Money and space are equally sacrificed to give to each cham- 
ber its fixed form, light, and facility of access, without having 
to traverse a passage or another apartment to reach it. Every 
room is composed of a square, to which is added a rectangle, 
so that it forms an oblong. Below the square, that is, in the 
rectangle, the floor is generally depressed a step ; sometimes 
in large apartments, separated by a balustrade, and sometimes 
by columns. This is the space allotted to the servants, who 
continually attend in a Turkish establishment, and regularly 
relieve one another. The bottom of the room is lined with 
wood-work. Cupboards, for the stowage of bedding; open 
spaces, like pigeon-holes, for vases, with water, sherbet, or 
flowers ; marble slabs and basins, for a fountain, with painted 
landscapes as a back-ground. In these casements are the 
doors. At the sides, in the angles, or in the centre of this 
lower portion, and over the doors, curtains are hung, which 
are held up by attendants as you enter. No thoroughfare is 
allowed through the apartment, and it must be unbroken in 
its continuity on three sides. The door or doors must be on 
one side only, which, then, is the bottom; the windows at 
another, and the opposite side, which, then, is the top. The 
usual number of windows at the top is four, standing contigu- 



TURKISH HOUSES. 205 

ous to each other. Windows may also be at the sides, but 
then they are close to the windows at the top, and they are 
usually in pairs, one on each side; and in a perfect room, 
usually, are twelve windows, four on each of the three sides 
of the square. But, as this condition cannot always be real- 
ized, the room, in each house so constructed, is generally 
called the kiosk, as kiosks, or detached rooms, are always so 
constructed. 

It is this form of apartment which gives to their houses and 
kiosks so irregular, yet so picturesque an air. The rooms 
are jutted out, and the outline deeply cut in, to obtain the 
light requisite for each room. A large space is consequently 
left vacant in the centre, from which all the apartments enter. 
This central hall gives great dignity to an Eastern mansion. 

The square portion of the room is occupied on the three 
sides by a broad sofa, with cushions all around, leaning 
against the wall, and rising to the sill of the windows, so 
that, as you lean on them, you command the view all around. 
The etTect of this arrangement of the seats and windows is, 
that you have always your back to the light, and your face 
to the door. The continuity of the windows, without inter- 
vening wall or object, gives a perfect command of the scene 
"without; and your position in sitting makes you feel, though 
in a room, constantly as in the presence of external nature. 
The light falls also in a single mass, and from above, afford- 
ing pictorial effects dear to the artist. The windows are 
seldom higher than six feet. Above the windows a cornice 
runs all around the room, and from it hang festoons of dra- 
pery. Above this, up to the ceiling, the wall is painted with 
arabesque flowers, fruit, and arms. Here is a second row 
of windows, with double panes of stained glass. On the 
lower windows are curtains, but not on those above. If 
necessary or desirable the light may be excluded; but'it is 
admitted from above, mellowed and subdued by the stained 
glass. The roof is highly painted and ornamented. It is 
divided into two parts. The one which is over the square 
portion of the room occupied by the triclinium is also square, 
and sometimes vaulted ; the other is an oblong portion, over 
the lower part of the room, close to the door. This is gene- 
rally lower and flat. 

The sofa, which runs around three sides of the square, is 
raised about fourteen inches. Deep fringe, or festoons of 
puckered cloth, hang down to the floor. The sofa is a little 
higher before than behind, and is about four feet wide. The 
angles are the seats of honour, though they have no idea of 

18 



206 RECEPTION OF VISITERS. 

putting two persons on the same footing, by placing one in 
one corner, and another in the other. The right corner is 
the chief place, then the sofa along the top, and general 
proximity to the right corner. Should the person of the 
highest rank accidentally occupy another place, the relative 
value of the positions all around the room are changed. 

An eminent traveller gives an excellent description of the 
manners and customs of Turkey, in the reception of visiters. 
" The Osmanh guest rides into the court, dismounts on the 
stone for that purpose, close to the landing-place. He has 
been preceded and announced by an attendant. A servant 
of the house gives notice to his master in the selamlik, not by 
proclaiming his name aloud, but by a sign which intimates 
the visiter's rank, or perhaps even his name. The host, ac- 
cording to his rank, proceeds to meet him, at the foot of the 
stairs, at the top, or at the door of the room, or he meets him 
in the middle of the room, or he only steps down from the 
sofa, or stands up on the sofa, or merely makes a motion to 
do so. It belongs to the guest to salute first. As he pro- 
nounces the words, Selam Aleikoum^ peace he unto you, or 
^osperity and welfare attend you, he bends down, as if to 
touch or take up the dust, or the host's robe, with his right 
hand, and then carries it to his lips and forehead. The master 
of the house immediately returns, Aleikoum Selam, with the 
same action, so that they appear to bend down together. 
This greeting, quickly despatched, without pause or interval, 
instead of pointing the way, and disputing to go first, the 
master immediately precedes his guest into the room, and 
then, turning round, makes way for his passage to the corner, 
which, if he refuses to take, he may for a moment insist, and 
each may take the other's arm, leading him to that part. 
With the exception of this single point, the whole ceremonial 
is performed with a smoothness and regularity, as if executed 
by machinery. No struggle occurs as to who is to walk first, 
no offering and thanking, no moving about of seats or chairs, 
no difficulty in selecting places, no helpings, no embarrass- 
ment resulting from people not knowing, in the absence of a 
code of etiquette, what they have to do ; no bowing and 
scraping at leave-taking, keeping people a quarter of an hour 
awkwardly on their feet : every thing is smooth, tranquil, and 
like clock-work, every body knowing his place, and places 
and things being always the same. The guest being seated, 
it is now the turn of the master of the house, and of the other 
guests, if any, to salute the new-comer. The guest returns 
each salute separately. They have no question of introduc- 



PIPES COFFEE. 207 

tion or presentation. It would be an insult to the master ot 
the house not to salute his guest. 

** The master of the house then orders the pipes, by a sign 
indicating their quality, and coffee according to the standing 
of his guest, that is, if he is of superior rank to the host, he 
orders, or the master asks from him permission to do so. 
The pipes having been cleared away on the entrance of the 
guest of distinction, the attendants reappear with pipes, as 
many servants as guests, and, after collecting in the lower 
part of the room, they step up together, or nearly so, on the 
floor, in the centre of the triclinium, and then radiate off to the 
different guests, measuring their steps so as to arrive at once, 
or with a graduated interval. The pipe, which is from five 
to seven feet in length, is carried in the right hand, poised 
upon the middle finger, with the bowl forward, and the mouth- 
piece towards the servant's breast, or over his shoulder. He 
measures, with his eye, a distance from the mouth of the 
guest to a spot on the floor, corresponding with the length of 
the pipe he carries. As he approaches, he halts, places the 
bowl of the pipe upon this spot, then, whirling the stick grace- 
fully around, while he makes a stride forward with one foot, 
presents the amber and jewelled mouth-piece within an inch 
or two of the guest's mouth. He then drops on his knee, and 
raising the bowl of the pipe from the ground, places under it 
a shining brass platter, which he has drawn from his breast. 

*' Next comes coffee. The servant presents himself at the 
bottom of the room, on the edge of the raised floor, support- 
ing on the palms of both hands, at the height of his breast, a 
small tray, containing the little coffee-pots and cups, entirely 
concealed with rich brocade. The attendants immediately 
cluster around him, the brocade covering is raised from the 
tray, and thrown over the servant's head and shoulders. 
When each attendant has got his cup ready, they turn round 
at once and proceed in the direction of the different guests, 
measuring their steps as before. The small cups are placed 
in silver holders, of the same form as the cups, but spreading 
a little at the bottom : these are of open silver work ; they are 
sometimes gold and jewelled, and sometimes of fine china. 
This the attendant holds between the point of the finger and 
thumb, carrying it before him, with the arm slightly bent. 
When he has approached close to the guest, he halts for a 
second, and stretching downwards his arm, brings the cup, 
with a sort of easy swing, to the vicinity of the receiver's 
mouth, who, from the way in which the attendant holds it, 
can take the tiny offering without risk of spilling the contents, 



208 VISITER RETIRING HOSPITALITY. 

or of touching the attendant's hand. Crank and rickety as 
these coffee-cups seem to be, 1 have never, during nine years, 
seen a cup of coffee spiit in a Turkish house ; and with such 
soft and eel-like movemenls do the attendants glide about, 
that, though long and winding snake-like pipes cover the floor 
when coffee is presented by the nunnerous attendants, you 
never see an accident of any kind, a pipe stepped on, or 
swept over by their flowing robes, though the difficulty of 
picking their steps is still farther increased by the habit of re- 
tiring backwards, and of presenting, in as far as it is possible, 
whether in servants or in guests, the face to the person served 
or addressed. 

" When coffee has been presented, the servants retire to 
the bottom of the room, where they stand with their hands 
crossed, each watching the cup he had presented, and has to 
carry away. But, not to interfere with the guest's fingers, 
he has now to make use of another manoeuvre to get posses- 
sion of it. The guest holds out the cup by the silver holder, 
the attendant opening one hand brings it under, then brings 
the palm of the other upon the top of the cup, the guest relin- 
quishes the hold, and the attendant retires backward with the 
cup thus secured. 

" After, finishing his cup of coffee, each guest makes his 
acknowledgment to the master of the house by salutation, 
which is in like manner returned ; and the master of the 
house, or he who is in his place, may make the same acknow- 
ledgment to any guest whom he is inclined particularly to 
honour. 

" When the guest retires, it is always after asking leave to 
go. From a similar custom, has probably remained our ex- 
pression taking leave. To this question the master of the 
house replies, with the fortune of a prince, or with prosperity^ 
or with health, according to the rank of his guest. He then 
gets up and proceeds before his guest to the point to which he 
thinks fit to conduct him. He then stops short; the retiring 
guest comes up, and, after some expressions on both sides, 
they go through the same ceremonies as before, but on both 
sides the utmost expedition in used to prevent embarrassment, 
and not to keep each other on their feet." 

The Turks may, with great propriety, be called a hospita- 
ble people. It is true that their strong prejudices against 
Christians operate to make them somewhat reserved to such, 
but that prejudice is evidently subsiding. They are, however, 
given to hospitality in their own way. All ranks among 
them, from the Pacha to the peasant in his tent among the 



POLYGAMY HONESTY — TRUTH. 209 

mountains, proffer food to the stranger, without any expecta- 
tion of compensation in return. ♦' Feed the stranger," seems 
to be a universal law with them, binding upon, and scrupu- 
lously observed by all classes. 

The Mahometan law allows polygamy, yet it is a liberty 
of which the people seldom take advantage. The Turk in 
his tent, with his one wife, appears as constant in his attach- 
ment to her as a peasant of a Christian country. It is in the 
palaces of the rich and great alone, that in the midst of luxury 
and state, many wives are assembled. The wives of the 
Sultan are styled Kadines, who alone have the privilege of 
producing an heir to the throne. Their number seldom ex- 
ceeds seven, and they are chosen from the Odalisques, or 
females, of the Imperial Harem. No marriage ceremony is 
ever performed, and the Sultan may dismiss his Kadine when- 
ever he pleases. The mother of the Sultan is honoured with 
the title of Sultana Valide, when her son succeeds to the 
throne. 

The honesty of the Turks must strike every observant tra- 
veller. The lowest classes among the Turks, unlike the 
Arabs, manifest no propensity to pilfer from any one, whether 
strangers or their own countrymen. With perfect safety the 
traveller may sleep in his tent any where, leaving his saddle, 
or other equipage, or cooking utensils exposed outside. The 
Greek will tell us, as a reason why the Turks are so honest, 
that the Turkish religion forbids stealing. Be the motive 
for honesty what it may, it is certain that the law, " Thou 
shalt not steal," seems to receive from them implicit and uni- 
versal obedience. 

Truth, the twin sister of honesty, is equally conspicuous in 
them ; and here again, the Greek apologizes for them. " The 
Mahometan dares not lie, his religion forbids it." 

The pervading character of this people, is their entire de- 
votion to their religion. It forms the civil as well as moral 
law; and instead of being interrupted by worldly business 
and interests, it is indissolubly associated with the occupa- 
tions of every hour of the day and every action of life. 
Prayer is with them universal, and peculiar to no place; 
sought equally in the field and chamber, as in the mosque. 
Every one pursues his own devotions, independently of a 
priesthood, (which here does not exist,) with perfect simpli- 
city and without ostentation. The character, habits, cus- 
toms, manners, health, and whole life of the people, appear 
formed by their religion. That their religion regulates all 
civil relations and duties, is constantly made evident by the 

18* 



210 DEVOTION TO RELIGION RAMAZAN. 

replies always given to questions, why this thing, or that 
thing was done, the invariable answer being that their re- 
ligion commands it. The law and the religion being one, 
are taught together to the children from their infancy, and 
on any breach of the duties thus inculcated, the Sultan's 
power to punish is absolute, and its exercise sure. From an 
elevated gallery in the minarets of the mosques, the call is 
made for prayer five times a day, in a clear, shrill, and loud 
voice. This call, coming from so many voices in the nume- 
rous minarets of this extensive city, is calculated to produce 
a feeling of deep solemnity in the mind. Immediately, every 
Turk, no matter where employed, nor in what engaged, is 
prostate, paying religious homage to the false prophet, instead 
of rendering the true spirit of devotion to the only God, 
through Jesus Christ, the only Mediator. It is to be regretted 
by every Christian mind, that these sincere devotees to the 
religion of a false prophet, should be so prejudiced against the 
gospel, as to close their eyes so long against its benign in- 
fluences and saving power. 

In the month of Ramazan, (the Mohammedan Lent,) the 
day is passed, by the rich at least, in sleep, or in total idle- 
ness. Every Moslem, with the exception of travellers, chil- 
dren and Jnvalids, is forbidden to taste food or drink, to smoke 
or take snufT, from sunrise to sunset ; and very wretched do 
they look, squatting on their divan, or at the door, without 
their favourite pipe in their mouths, and having no other oc- 
cupation than counting their beads. As the Turkish month 
is lunar, the Ramazan runs through every season in the 
course of thirty-three years ; and when it occurs in summer, the 
labouring classes suffer extretnely from exhaustion and thirst. 
The boatmen lean on their oars almost fainting ; yet, it is 
said, no one was ever met with, who professed to have seen 
an instance in which they yielded to the temptation of vio- 
lating the fast. The moment of sunset, is, of course, eagerly 
watched ; it is announced by the firing of cannon. It might 
be imagined that the first act of the hungry and thirsty would 
be to eat and drink ; but numbers of Turks may be seen, 
their pipes ready filled, and the fire to light in their hands, 
awaiting the welcome signal ; every other gratification bring 
postponed for that of inhaling the fragrant weed. The night 
is passed in devotional forms and revelry. All the mosques 
are open, and all the coffee houses ; the latter being crowded 
with Turks smoking, drinking coffee, and listening to singers, 
and story-tellers. The minarets are illuminated, and the 
streets are crowded by the faithful. The Bairam, which sue- 



MAHOMMEDAN YEAR COMMERCE. 211 

ceeds the Ramazan, presents three days of unmixed festivity. 
Every Turk, who can afford it, appears in a new dress; 
visits are exchanged, and parties are made up to the favourite 
spots in the vicinity. Seventy days after is the festival of 
the " Courban Bairam," (feast of sacrifice,) which lasts four 
days, during which sheep and oxen are sacrificed to Allah and 
" the Prophet," and the same festivities are observed as 
during Bairam. These seven days are a universal freedom 
from all business ; the shops being shut, and every thing 
yielding to pleasure. 

The Mohammedan year consists of twelve lunar months, 
each containing twenty-nine days and thirteen hours. The 
year thus contains three hundred and fifty-four days and nine 
hours. But a year not of an integral number being inconve- 
nient, it was arranged to have nineteen years of three hun- 
dred and fifty-four days, and eleven years of three hundred 
and fifty-five days, in a cycle of thirty years ; thus making each 
year an integral number. The Mohammedan Hegira, (year 
of the flight,) commenced on Friday, the 16th of July, A.D., 
622 ; and the five hundred and thirty-eighth year of the He- 
gira began Friday, July l6lh, bringing back its commence- 
ment to the same day of the week and month on which it first 
began. The five hundred and thirty-eighth year of the Hegira 
corresponds to A.D., 1143. Thus, five hundred and twenty- 
one of our years are equal to five hundred and thirty-seven 
Turkish years. The Turks begin their computation of time 
from sunset. This is the twelfth hour. An hour after, it is 
one o'clock, and so on until the twelfth hour in the morning, 
"when they begin again. A constant alteration is going on in 
their clocks and watches ; and, in fact, in order to be correct, 
they ought to be changed every evening, so as to meet the 
variation in the length of the days. 

The commercial intercourse of distant nations seems con- 
genial to the spirit of the Mahometan religion, and it has been 
promoted not only by the chief injunction of that system, the 
pilgrimage to Mecca, but by various other regulations which 
facilitate the progress and contribute to the comfort of travel- 
lers. Hospitality in the East is still a duty, and the Mussul- 
man esteems the construction of a fountain or caravanserai 
in the wilderness, as an act of devotion not less sincere than 
serviceable. Thus, also, he cherishes the camel, not only as 
the favourite of his Prophet, but as the " ship of the desert." 
The oriental travelling merchant, a character with which we 
become acquainted in the very outset of history, is the fa- 
vourite and the friend of Islamism. It was to a company of 



212 COMMERCE. 

travelling merchants, Joseph was sold by his brethren. (Gen. 
xxxvii.) For the few days of the annual pilgrimage, the fair 
of Mecca, until the late disturbances of Arabia, was the 
greatest perhaps on the face of the earth. From that centre, 
a constant and abundant supply of a thousand useful and lux- 
urious commodities diverged in a variety and abundance, 
sufficient for the real or fancied wants of every region of the 
Eastern hemisphere. The communication of the commodi- 
ties of distant regions by land-carriage, has, notwithstanding 
the progress of navigation, increased, instead of being dimi- 
nished in modern times. The same person will carry sulphur 
from Persia to China, porcelain from China to Greece, gold 
stuffs from Greece to India, steel from India to Aleppo, 
glass from Aleppo to Yemen, painted calicoes from Yemen 
to Persia. It is by the aid of the caravan that the shawls of 
Cashmere, the muslins of Bengal, and the diamonds of Gol- 
conda, as well as the gold and ivory of Southern Africa, are 
to be met with in the bazaars of Constantinople. 

Every Turk, whatever may be his rank, is taught a trade 
of some kind. The late sultan was a tooth-pick maker; the 
articles made by him were sold for charitable purposes. 



CHAPTER XVL 

Bosphorus — Dolmaboghdsche — Monument of Barbarossa — Beschik- 
tasche — Kuru Tschesme— Garden of the Tower — Roumelia — Black 
Tower — Kaudili — Buyiikdere — Commodore Porter — Giant's Moun- 
tain — Rumuli Kawak — Anatoli Kawak — Turris Timaea — Lifjht- 
houses — Cynnean Rocks — Black Sea — Kistenji — Trajan's Wall — 
Danube — Trajan's Bridge — Roman Severinum — Iron Gate — Arrival 
at Orsova. 

On the 29th April, 1842, we embarked on board an Aus- 
trian steamer, leaving our Greek servant Andrew behind, 
having no further occasion for his services. He had been to 
us a most able and efficient servant during all the time he 
was in our employ ; but understood well how to play into his 
own pocket. He was afTectionate, and manifested some ten- 
derness at parting from us. 

We commenced ascending the Bosphorus, which is truly a 
noble channel, connecting the Pontus and the Proponlus, (the 
Euxine and the Sea of Marmora,) and forming in its wind- 
ings, a chain of seven lakes. Nothing can exceed the beauty 
of the scenery along the banks of the Bosphorus, which de- 
serves to occupy the attention of the traveller for weeks and 
months; it is splendid and enchanting beyond all description. 
According to the laws of all estuaries the seven windings of 
the Bosphorus are indicated by seven promontories, forming 
as many corresponding bays on the opposite shore, in the 
same manner as on the other hand seven bays on the Euro- 
pean side correspond with seven promontories on the Asiatic. 
Seven currents in different directions follow the windings of 
the shore. Each has a counter current, whereby the water, 
driven with violence into the separate bays, thence flows 
upwards in an opposite direction in the other half of the 
channel. 

The first promontory which we passed on the European 
side, was that of Top-hanna, which at the same time closes 
the harbour, and commences the Bosphorus ; the bay on the 
Asiatic side, was that of Scutari. The promontory with 
which the Asiatic coast closes the Bosphorus, and where the 
sea of Marmora begins, was called Bosphorus, that is, the 



214 DOLMABOGHDSCHE MONUMENT OF BARBAEOSSA. 

ox-ford, from the passage across of lo, changed into a cow, 
who swam over from the opposite promontory of the Acropo- 
lis, and here first reposed. 

The first village which we passed on the European side, 
was Funduklu, This may be considered a continuation of 
Top-hanna. Dolmaboghdsche (which means the bear-garden,) 
is the first imperial palace on this side the Bosphorus. Near 
by is the monument of Barbarossa, the great Turkish naval 
hero; it stands conspicuous from the sea, like the tumulus 
of Achilles, and the tomb of Themistocles. Nothing can be 
more picturesquely beautiful than this simple monument, co- 
vered with moss and ivy, on the shore of the rendezvous of 
the Ottoman fleets, with which Barbarossa first covered the 
sea whose waves kiss the foot of the tomb of their great 
ruler. Destitute of the inscriptions which are so frequently 
lavished on Turkish tombs, it commemorates the name of 
the mighty hero in the midst of the roaring waves of tem- 
pestuous times, and the howling of the revolutionary winds. 
Barbarossa's name was the terror of the Christian fleets, and 
his memory will live until the latest hour of the Ottoman 
sway. 

Close to the palace are the gardens and summer-palace of 
Beschiktasche, which has ever been the most cherished resi- 
dence of the Ottoman sultans in the fine season. This pre- 
ference it owes to its lovely situation between two romantic 
valleys, and to the enchanting prospect as well from the shore, 
as from the heights rising behind the palace. The valleys 
are public walks, and as such, as almost every where in 
Turkey, are consecrated by tombs as places of pilgrimage; 
but the gardens of the summer-palace are closed from the in- 
trusion and view of strangers by high walls. The beauty of 
the gardens enclosed behind the walls may be imagined from 
the towering cypresses rising above them ; and the richness 
of their vegetation is betrayed by the luxuriance of the 
creepers which spread their foliage over the naked stone, en- 
tirely clothing the inner wall, and forming on the outside a 
complete frame- work of verdure. 

Kuru Tschesme is a village formerly called Estias, Ana- 
plus, or also Vicus Michaelieus, from the celebrated church 
of the archangel Michael, which Constantino the Great here 
erected in his honour, and which the Emperor Justinian re- 
newed. The church of the archangel' Michael at Anaplus 
was particularly remarkable in the fifth century for the 
Stylites; Simeon, and after him Daniel the Stylite, were 
here adored by the people while standing on pillars, as Cedre- 



KUEU TSCHE3ME CASTLE OF ROUMELIA. 215 

nus circumstantially details in the following words : " In 
these days the great Symeon, who was called from the pillar 
the Stylite, ascended the column in order to withdraw from 
the crowd of those who wished to touch his clothes, which 
were made of the skins of beasts. At first he ordered the 
pillar to be made six yards high, shortly afterwards, how- 
ever, to be increased to twelve, twenty-two, and thirty-six 
yards. After Symeon, Daniel the Stylite ascended the co- 
lumn, and stood upon it until the fourth year of Leo the 
Great, not less than twenty-eight years." 

Exactly opposite Kuru Tschesme, on the Asiatic side, is 
the Garden of the Tower. It derives its name from an histo- 
rical legend. Sultan Selim I. incensed against his son So- 
leiman, ordered him to be strangled. The officer entrusted 
with the execution of this order, however, at the risk of his 
life, saved that of the prince, by confining him for three 
years on this spot. It was only after the return of Selim 
from Egypt, when he repented of his cruel order, and the 
want of children fell heavily on his heart, that the keeper of 
Soleiman agreeably surprised him by the announcement of 
his having disobeyed his order. When Sultan Soleiman 
came to the throne, he changed the tower into a beautiful 
garden, with fountains and springs, and planted one of the 
largest and oldest cypresses with his own hand. 

On the narrowest part of the Bospborus is the Castle of 
Roumelia, an important fortress, and which was the imme- 
diate preliminary to the conquest of Constantinople by the 
Ottomans. Mohammed II. erected this building in 1451, two 
years before the conquest of Constantinople, to the great terror 
of the trembling emperor. Mohammed had, in the beginning 
of the winter, driven together a thousand masons and a thou- 
sand lime-burners. In the spring every thing was ready, by 
the time of his arrival from Adrianople, to deternnne with 
accuracy the plan and the site of the new fortress. He 
traced the foundations conformably to the ludricous idea that 
the circuit of the walls ought to imitate the Arabic letters of 
the word Mahommed, the name of the Prophet. The whole 
work received the most irregular and senseless shape ever 
given to a fortress. The castle was finished in three months, 
the walls being thirty feet thick, and high in proportion. On 
one of the towers enormous guns were raised, which threw 
stone balls of more than six cwt. No ship was allowed to 
pass without paying a toll. On the promontory of Hermaeon, 
(where stands the castle of Roumelia,) stood the rock cut in 
the form of a throne, on which Darius sat and contemplated 



216 BLACK TOWER KAUDILI. 

the march of his army from Asia to Europe. This rock was 
called the throne of Darius, and close to it stood the celebrated 
columns on which the description of the passage of his army 
was engraved in Assyrian and Greek letters. 

Immediately opposite to Roumelia, on the Asiatic side, rises 
the fortress of Anatoli Hissari, as the Asiatic defence of the 
narrowest part of the Bosphorus. It was built by Mohammed 
XL, before the one on the European side, and received the 
name of Guzel Hissari, that is, the Beautiful Castle. It was 
subsequently dreaded, under the name of the Black Tower, 
from the number of prisoners who died there of ill-treatment 
and torture. 

Near by is the village of Kaudili, built above and below 
the promontory. It excels every other on the European and 
Asiatic side in the loveliness of its site and the purity of its 
air. Its ancient name was Stream Girt, from the violent cur- 
rent which, driven across from the opposite promontory of 
the Devil's Current, beats directly against Kaudili. The 
houses on the heights command the loveliest views on the 
Bosphorus, embracing at the same time both the upper and 
lower mouths of the channel, the Black Sea, and the Sea of 
Marmora. Kaudili means, gifted with lanterns, and hardly 
any spot so well deserves the name; for it seems suspended 
in the vault of heaven, like a beacon of beauty to the earth, 
sending its rays of light wide around over the heights and 
depths of the European and Asiatic shores. Many a traveller 
has described with enthusiasm the walks along the Bosphorus, 
and attempted to represent, in words, the picture of the magic 
lantern which both its shores present in many-coloured va- 
riety, but few have admired the beautiful panoramic view of 
the Bosphorus from this magic lantern of Kaudili, and no 
one has yei attempted to paint from this spot the double 
union of nature and art, of grandeur and grace, of the ma- 
jestic and beautiful, which the Bosphorus here offers to the 
eye. Vain is the attempt to describe the separate or collect- 
ive beauties of hills and dales, of bights and bays, of mead- 
ows and springs, of dark cypress-groves and light rose-beds, 
of roaring currents and lisping springs, of golden kiosks and 
marble fountains, the confusion of flag-bearing masts and 
towering minarets, of cupolas floating in the air, and caiques 
cleaving the waters, of currents and -counter-currents, of 
mountains and lakes, through which the mariner, at each 
new turn of the shore, finds himself transported to a new sea, 
encircled by magic banks. 

Buyukdere is the summer residence of the greater portion 



BUYUKDEKE GIaNt's MOUNTAIN. 217 

of the Christian embassies, and is so called from the great 
valley which stretches three miles inland. The town con- 
sists of a lower and an upper village. In the former are the 
houses of the Greeks, Armenians, and a few Turks ; and in 
the latter, the summer residences and gardens of the Euro- 
pean ambassadors. Amongst these, the most distinguished 
by the regularity of its architecture, and its lovely situation, 
is the Russian palace. These palaces and summer residences 
stretch along the beautiful quay, which forms a delightful 
promenade. On fine moonlight nights, when the dark blue 
sky mingles with the deep blue of the Bosphorus, and the 
twinkling of the stars with the phosphoric illumination of the 
sea ; when caiques, full of Greek singers and guitar-players, 
glide, with their sweet tones, along the banks, and the balmy 
air of the night wafts the softest Ionian melodies from the 
land to the sea; when the silence of the listeners is inter- 
rupted by soft whispers, the bay of Buyukdere merits the 
enthusiasm with which its lovers are wont to proclaim its 
praises. Our countryman, Commodore Porter, the first 
envoy ever sent by the United States' Government to the 
Sublime Porte, formerly resided at this beautiful place. But 
his salary not permitting him to sustain a becoming style, he 
withdrew from the place, and fixed himself at St. Stephano, 
twelve miles from Constantinople, on the borders of the Sea 
of Marmora, where he had a most beautiful situation, and 
where he breathed his last. 

On the Asiatic shore, almost directly opposite Buyukdere, 
is the Giant's Mountain, which is the highest mountain on 
the shores of the Bosphorus. The Turks call it the Moun- 
tain of Joshua, because the giant's grave on the top of the 
mountain, according to the Moslem version, is the grave of 
Joshua. This grave is guarded by two dervishes. No other 
reason can be assigned for the Turks giving it the name of 
Joshua's grave, but that Joshua, during a battle of the Israel- 
ites, stood upon a mountain to pray that the sun might stand 
still, and victory attend their arms. The grave is twenty 
feet long, and five broad, enclosed within a work of stone, 
planted with flowers and bushes. On the latter are sus- 
pended shreds of torn linen, and pieces of worn-out clothes, 
which Turkish superstition hangs up, not merely here, but at 
every shrine, as a sort of votive offering against fevers or 
other diseases, in the belief that, as these shreds are aired, 
the disease will quit the body of the wearer, whose person is 
clothed in the remainder of the dress. 

The Castle of Rumuli Kawak, as well as the opposite 

19 



21 S RUMULI EAWAK ANATOLI KAWAK LIGHTHOUSES. 

fortress of Anatoli Kawak, on the Asiatic side, was built 
by Sultan Murad IV"., to protect the Bosphorus from the in- 
cursions of the Cossacks. In the time of the Byzantines, the 
two castles which defended the straits of the Bosphorus were 
situated on the summits of the opposite mountains, and bound 
to them by walls, which ran straight down the mountains to 
the shore. The strait itself was, in time of need, closed by a 
great chain, which stretched from one shore to the other; 
and thus the line of defence went from mountain to mountain, 
stretched like a rope, inasmuch as the two castles were con- 
nected through the walls with the dams, and with each other 
by means of the chain. These castles, of which the Asiatic 
one is tolerably preserved, but the European one only visible 
in the ruins of the walls, are at present known under the 
name of the Genoese Castles. 

On the top of an adjacent height stands a large ancient 
round tower, which Dionysius calledTurrisTinifea, and which 
formerly served as a watch-tower. This was the old Pharos, 
from which torches were held up at night, whose light, placed 
in a straight line with those at the mouth of the Bosphorus, 
saved the ships navigating the Black Sea from being wrecked 
on the Cyanean rocks, or the Thracian coast. The ancient 
inhabitants, a barbarous and cruel people, used often to light 
fires in the most dangerous places, in order to embarrass the 
mariners, who took them for the lighthouse, and who, after 
suffering shipwreck, were robbed of their cargoes. 

At the extreme point of the European side of the Bosphorus, 
is the village of the lighthouse. Opposite to it are the Cya- 
nean rocks, or the Symplegades, through which Jason steered 
the Argonauts with no less good fortune than danger. The 
story of their mobility, or wandering about, probably arose 
from their appearing or disappearing when the sea was high 
and stormy, being hardly six feet above the level of the water. 
Opposite, on the Asiatic side, is another lighthouse, which, 
with the other on the European side, is intended to point out 
to the navigators of the Euxine the mouth of the Bosphorus. 

Eventually we entered the Black Sea, and sailed along its 
shores until we reached Varna, the ancient Odessus. It is 
the residence of a Pacha, but is a poor place. We had but 
little opportunity of seeing much of the Black Sea, and, there- 
fore, I cannot attempt any particular description. Its shores 
appeared to be low. Although travellers give alarming ac- 
counts of the violence of storms upon its bosom, and of fre- 
quent shipwrecks upon its shores, it was calm and placid 
during the short period we sailed over a portion of its waters. 



KISTENJI TKAJAN's WALL — DANUBE. 219 

The extent of the sea is said to be nine hundred and thirty- 
two miles in length, and three hundred and eighty in breadth. 

After an exchange of passengers, we proceeded in the 
steamer to Kistenji, where we landed. This town occupies 
the site, and retains, with slight alteration, the name of the 
Roman town Conslantina, founded by Trajan. This spot 
exhibits extensive remains of Roman constructions, marble 
blocks, columns, carved friezes, capitals, &c. ; and the 
ground is strown with prepared masonry for a considerable 
distance. The celebrated wall of Trajan terminates at this 
place. This wall commenced at the Bulgarian village of Ye- 
hekewy, a little below Rassavo, and extended from the bank 
of the Danube to the Black Sea, to restrain the excursions of 
the barbarians from the north. It may still be distinctly 
traced all the way, running along the crests of the low hills, 
and down the intervening hollows. It was twelve feet high, 
provided with a double ditch, and though now a mere grassy 
mound, was possibly once faced with masonry. 

At Kistenji we took coaches for Tchunavoda, on the river 
Danube. Our road lay over a country naturally rich and 
fertile, and well adapted to cultivation; but, like all other 
countries under Turkish misrule, all around was one open 
waste. The inhabitants subsist mainly by their flocks ; the 
land they neglect, having no assurance of being permitted to 
keep any part of the fruits of their labours; the wants of the 
government, or of its officers, being first to be supplied. On 
the Danube we found a steamer ready to receive us, and con- 
vey us up the river. 

The Danube is the chief river of Germany, and is second 
to none in Europe, save the Volga. After a course of one 
thousand five hundred and fifty miles from its source in the 
Black Forest, after receiving thirty navigable and ninety 
smaller rivers in its course, it enters the Black Sea through 
seven arms. Yet the navigation of this noble river bears no 
proportion to its rank and size. This is owing to the rapidi- 
ty of its current, the obstructions in its channel, but, more 
than all, to the absence of a circulating commerce along its 
banks, and the want of enterprise on the part of the inhabi- 
tants to use it as an outlet for the produce of the countries 
which it traverses. The vessels committed to it previous to 
1880, when a steamer was first launched on the river at 
Vienna, consisted almost exclusively of barges of unpainted 
planks, slightly connected, so as to hold together in a descend- 
ing voyage, but rarely capable of ascending, and valued only 
as so much planking, to be broken up on reaching their des- 



220 Trajan's bridge. 

tination. Consequently, the number of travellers for pleasure 
has been proportionally small. Yet a portion of its banks 
discloses scenery, beautiful and grand. The Danube is dis- 
tinguished for its vast forests, feathering down to the water's 
edge from the summits of high mountains, which confine the 
river on both sides ; and, in addition to the picturesque ruins 
of ancient castles, it is diversified with numerous monasteries, 
palaces in extent and splendour, and mighty monuments of 
ecclesiastical wealth and power. This river formed for a 
long time the frontier line of the Roman dominions ; its valley 
has been the high road of the barbarous hordes of Attila, and 
of the armies of Charlemagne, Gustavus Adolphus, Solyman 
the Magnificent, Marlborough, and Napoleon ; its shores have 
echoed, at one time, with the hymns of the pilgrims of the 
Cross, and, at another, with the enthusiastic shouts of the tur- 
baned followers of the Prophet ; and its waters have been 
dyed, in turn, with the blood of Romans, Huns, Germans, 
Swedes, Turks, French, and English. 

From Tchunavoda we passed up this noble river as far as 
Skela Gladova, a Wallachian village, a few years since a 
mere group of poor hovels, but has since become a place of 
great activity, since the establishment of the steam company. 
Yet it does not contain any thing deserving the name of a 
house, nor afford the slightest accommodation to travellers, 
who, if detained here, can sleep only on board the steamer. 

About four miles below Skela Gladova, we passed the re- 
mains of Trajan's bridge, consisting of portions of abutments 
of solid masonry on each bank, flanked with the foundations 
of towers, between which a series of thirteen truncated piers, 
out of twenty, which formed the original complement, extend 
across the bed of the river, part of them being visible when 
the water is low. This bridge the Emperor Trajan had built 
A, D. 103 ; it exceeded in length any stone bridge ever con- 
structed, measuring nearly three thousand nine hundred Eng- 
lish feet. Such was its strength, that time, violence, and the 
floods and ice-shocks of one thousand six hundred winters, 
have not been able entirely to destroy it. It was constructed 
at the first spot below the rapids, where the river has a 
gravelly and not rocky bed, and where is an open space on 
both sides to allow the marshalling of troops, and the erection 
efforts to defend the approaches to it. Remains of these forts 
still exist. And as late as 1836, some Roman arms and coins 
were discovered in the vicinity. ■ The greatest depth of the 
river at this point is eighteen feet. The bridge was construct- 
ed of such materials as the neighbourhood afforded ; the piers 



ROMAN SEVERINUM IRON GATE. 221 

were formed of rolled stones and pebbles, thrown into a cais- 
son, or box, and then filled in with mortar or Roman cement ; 
they were faced with large bricks. The height of the piers 
was probably twenty-five or thirty feet ; the arches which 
they supported were of wood. 

About two hundred and fifty yards higher up, we passed 
Sozoremy, the Roman Severinum, probably the earliest 
Roman colony planted on the further bank of the Danube, 
after the building of the bridge. It is a strong rampart, or 
wall, of brick and gravel, measuring four hundred and twenty 
feet by one hundred and sixty-two. Near this also, on a 
conical mound, stands a mutilated tower, evidently Roman, 
designed to defend the approach to the bridge. The fort was 
probably calculated to hold a garrison of six hundred or one 
thousand men. 

At Skela Gladova, in consequence of the river not being 
navigable for steamers, the passengers and luggage were 
placed on board a small boat drawn by horses. On this part 
of our route we entered, for the first time, the vicinity of the 
mountains. We passed the Iron Gate, which is a vast pla- 
teau of rock, filling up nearly the whole breadth of the river, 
about fourteen hundred yards wide, and two thousand yards 
long, over which the Danube rushes as over an inclined plane, 
with a fall of fifteen feet, perceptible to the eye, within the 
length of about an English mile. It is at low water all but a 
cataract. The whole volume of water seems writhing and 
twisting in eddies and whirlpools, as it sweeps over the slope, 
among the bristling rocks which raise their sharp points 
above the surface. Quin says, " When completely exposed 
to view by the depression of the river, they look terrific, the 
gaping jaws, as it were, of some infernal monster." Another 
lively writer compares it to " a vast harrow, with the spikes 
upwards, which tears the shallow stream into countless ad- 
verse eddies." Through the midst of the rocks runs a very 
intricate and difficult channel, which experienced boatmen 
attempt, when the river is high, with craft drawing little 
water, and even these not unfrequently suffer shipwreck in 
the midst, from being unable to make the abrupt turns requi- 
site to avoid the rocks, while swept on by the rapid current. 
Shallow barges and boats are dragged slowly up the stream, 
along the Servian shore, by oxen or horses ; and it is on this 
side that it has been proposed to cut a canal, which is a fea- 
sible scheme, if political interests and quarantine laws did not 
impede its execution. The name, Iron Gate, is merely a 

19* 



222 ARRIVAL AT ORSOVA. 

translation of the words by which the Turks, in their fond- 
ness for metaphor, designate a spot difficult to cross, which 
shuts or closes, as it were, the navigation of the river. 

We continued in this small boat as far as Orsova. Here 
we were placed in quarantine for one day. We were now in 
Hungary, a portion of the Austrian dominions. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Orsova — Parlatorium — Mountain Scenery — Via Trajana — Passport 
Missing- — Mohacs — Bloody Battles — Pest — Field of Rakos — Oppres- 
sion of the Poor — Buda — Vulgar Practice — Inundations — Floating- 
Mills — Vienna — The Glacis — Imperial Palace — Jewel Office — Impe- 
rial Arsenal — Dwellings — Cathedral of St. Stephen's — Catacombs — 
Capuchin Church — Church of the Augustines — Grand Procession — 
Dancing Saloons — Hospitals — Promenades — The Prater — Baden — 
Schonbrun — Departure from Vienna — Police of Austria. 

At Orsova we could not avoid observing the striking diffe- 
rence between the nnanners and customs of these people, and 
those of the Turks, whose dominions we had just left. Among 
the latter, the women kept their faces covered, but here they 
were untrammelled by any such useless appendages of dress. 
The Turks never bow or raise their turban in salutation; 
here the people would stop in the road, sometimes a dozen in 
a row, and, gracefully raising their hats, salute us with a bow 
as we passed. It had been a long time since our eyes had 
been saluted with the sight of a Christian church ; here the 
sound of the church-going bell saluted our ears with its fami- 
liar sounds, and the sanctuary of God arose before us in its 
accustomed loveliness. 

Orsova is a military village, about three miles from the 
frontier, with nine hundred inhabitants, chiefly Wallachians. 
They have a more wild and barbarous-appearance than even 
the other races which inhabit Hungary. They are clad in 
long shirts, belted around the waist, and loose trovvsers, tied 
at the ankles, the rest of their garments being exclusively of 
sheepskins. They wear high, airy caps, like the end of a 
mop, and long cloaks, with the wool outside, reminding one 
of a door-rug. With their low foreheads, unshorn locks, and 
filthy persons, they really look not much superior to the ani- 
mals whose skins they occupy. 

Outside the town, by the water-side, and near the ferry 
over the Danube, stands the Parlatorium, a wooden shed, in 
which the market is held three times a week. On account 
of the quarantine regulations, the building where the market 



224 PARLATORIUM — MOUNTAIN SCENERY VIA TRAJANA. 

is held is divided by three partitions, breast high, behind 
which the dealers of the three nations, Servia, VVallachia, 
and Austria, are congregated. In an open space, in the 
centre, is a table, by the side of which the Austrian quaran- 
tine officers take their stand, aided and supported by a guard 
of soldiers, with fire-arms and fixed bayonets, to enforce 
order and obedience. Whenever a bargain is made, the 
money to be paid is handed to one of the attendants, who 
receives it in a long ladle, transfers it to a basin of vinegar, 
and after washing it, passes it on to the other side. The 
goods to be purchased are placed within sight, and are im- 
mersed in a tub of u^ater, or fumigated, when they happen to 
change owners. It is an amusing sight to see the process of 
bargaining thus carried on by three parties, at the distance 
of several yards from each other, attended by the vociferation 
and gesticulation inseparable from such business. 

At Orsova we took coach for Drenkova, and passed over a 
good road, though in an unfinished state. We had some fine 
mountain scenery along the river. In some places the river 
was confined between two mountains rising in almost perpen- 
dicular rocks above our heads, presenting a grand and ma- 
jestic appearance. This new road has been boldly carried 
through the defile, a passage having been blasted for it 
in the limestone by the river-side. As we passed along this 
vast gallery, it had the appearance of an overarching cavern. 
This colossal gorge has an awful grandeur about it. For a 
long distance the rocks are so perpendicular that a plumb 
line might be dropped from their brow at once into the water 
below ; and the extreme height of the sides above the water 
does not fall far short, if any, of two thousand feet. These 
rocks do not rise in regular horizontal layers, as rocks gene- 
rally do in America, but stand, as it were, upon an edge, and 
rise in perpendicular peaks from the base to their summit. 
Tne river is, at the same time, contracted to its narrowest 
limits, between four and five hundred feet. In places above, 
it is between one and a half and two miles wide. Its depth 
in those narrows is said to be one hundred and seventy feet. 

The impressive grandeur and interest of the scene was 
much increased by the sockets in the natural wall opposite. 
For seventeen centuries have they been visible, and yet, as 
though the world had stood still the while, it was not until 
1834, that the hint they gave was fully understood. In these 
sockets, beams were inserted to support the Roman road, 
called Via Trajana, because constructed by Trajan. It 
doubtless served as a towing-path, but was at the same time 



VIA TRAJANA — PASSPOET MISSING. 225 

passable for men and beasts of burden. To the moderns, 
the art of constructing a road, even along the precipices of 
the Danube, is easy with the aid of gunpowder. The an- 
cients, though they here and there cut away the rock by 
sheer labour of hammer and chisel, so as to form a narrow 
ledge from two to six feet wide, and rounded off some of the 
projecting angles, could not depend entirely on this slow and 
costly process, and had therefore recourse to other means 
for establishing a communication, more economical, and 
equally efficient. They put up a wooden shelf against this 
wall of rock, resting the platform partly on the ledge, and 
partly supporting it by beams inserted into the sockets cut in 
the rock, doubling the breadth of the roadway, by allowing 
the wood-work to overhang the river. Then roofing it over, 
they formed a covered hanging-gallery or balcony, extend- 
ing for nearly fifty miles, and constituting one of the greatest, 
because one of the most useful, of Roman works. A coin 
was struck to commemorate its construction, bearing the 
legend. Via Trajana. This row of sockets is about ten feet 
above the ordinary level, and just below the stain marking 
the high-water level of the Danube. Such were the modest 
and useful inventions and acts of sixteen centuries ago. Here 
is the evidence of the accomplishment by the Romans (al- 
though scarcely an indication of it remains in Roman au 
thors,) of an enterprise which is now universally admitted to 
have been one of the most important for the public welfare 
of Europe. In this chiseling of the rocks of Servia, what 
abundant proof have we of commercial circulation and pros- 
perity, and, consequently, of the national well-being and in- 
dividual happiness of a former period, which it is the fashion 
to regard as sterile in useful fruits, because the habits of our 
times lead us to imagine, that prosperity cannot exist without 
clamour, or commerce or industry without libraries of legis- 
lation. 

In about nine hours we reached Drenkova. At Orsova 
our Turkish passports were taken from us, and were to be 
returned at this place. The other passengers received theirs, 
but mine was missing, which caused some difficulty. I had 
a receipt for it from the proper officer; but never again saw 
sight of the passport. 1 had, however, two others with me, 
one in French, and the other in Arabic, which were permitted 
to answer the purpose. Here we went again on board of a 
steamer. On the banks of the river we saw large numbers 
of horses, cattle, sheep, and goats grazing. The country 
had a charming appearance. We passed close under the 



22G MOHACS — BLOODY BATTLES. 

walls of Belgrade, near a tower at the water side, from which 
criminals were formerly cast into the Danube, after being 
strangled. The town of Belgrade, of which we saw nothing, 
lies behind this tower. 

From this place up we passed nothing very interesting to 
the traveller. The shore on one side was fringed by those 
dark, interminable, and almost untrodden forests which cover 
a large part of Sclavonia, furnishing mast to innumerable 
herds of swine, and masts and planks to the English navy. 
As we passed along, we scarcely perceived any indications 
of human habiiations, save a log hut, or rude hovel of straw, 
set up by the swine-herds, and occurring only at wide in- 
tervals. 

At Mohacs, a town of eight thousand inhabitants, we 
stopped for some hours to take in fuel. This place is famous 
for the battle so fatal to the independence of Hungary, fought 
here in 1526, when the army of Solyman the Magnificent, 
two hundred thousand strong, annihilated at one blow that of 
Lewis II., leaving twenty-two thousand out of thirty thousand 
Christians dead upon the field, including two archbishops, 
six bishops, and twenty-eight magnates, with the flower of 
the Maggar chivalry. The king himself was stifled in a 
swamp, near a small village, while attempting to escape. His 
death occasioned a change of dynasty, and first opened the 
throne of Hungary to a German sovereign. The Hungarian 
forces were summoned to attend their monarch against the 
Turks, by sending around a bloody sabre, which was passed 
from hand to hand, from village to village, by swift couriers, 
in the manner of the Fiery Cross in the Highlands of Scot- 
land, as a signal to arouse all who were capable of bearing 
arms. The battle of Mohacs left Hungary for a century and 
a half open to the Ottomans, and defenceless. But, on the 
same spot, in 1686, the disgrace was retrieved, with the loss 
of only six hundred Christians, but by the slaughter of twenty 
thousand Turks, who received so serious a repulse from the 
Austrians, commanded by Charles of Lorraine and Prince 
Eugene, that the hordes of the Crescent have never since at- 
tempted the invasion of Hungary. 

On the sixth day we landed at Pest. This, though one of 
the oldest towns in Hungary, was a place of slight conse- 
quence until the reigns of Maria Theresa and Joseph II. Its 
previous history is little more than a series of misfortunes, as 
it was five times taken by the Turks, and only rescued from 
their hands in 1666, by the Prince of Lorraine and Duke of 
Baden. Since that time it has risen rapidly into prosperity 



PEST FIELD OF RAKOS. 2"27 

and importance. It is now the finest, most populous and 
commercial city of Hungary, the seat of manufactures and im- 
provements, and is constantly increasing in extent and pros- 
perity. In March, 1838, a fearful inundation, caused by the 
sudden swelling of the Danube and the stoppage of the ice a 
little below the town, laid a large part of the town under 
water, and destroyed or seriously injured nearly four thou- 
sand houses, which were chiefly habitations of the lower 
orders, and being for the most part mud, were readily swept 
away. The streets and squares were converted into torrents 
and lakes of water twelve feet deep. This catastrophe was 
attended by much misery and serious loss of life, but has led 
the way to important public improvements, since the hovels 
destroyed have been replaced by tasteful and substantial rows 
of houses. 

Pest contains but few fine public buildings ; but one edifice, 
remarkable for its enormous dimensions, deserves notice. It 
is a barrack and artillery depot, probably the largest in the 
world. It is four stories high, and consists of a central court, 
with four small quadrangles at the corners. It was built by 
the Emperor Joseph in 1786, for what purpose was never 
exactly explained. The Hungarians hint darkly at the ex- 
tent of the underground apartments, which they say are far 
too numerous to be of use as cellars, and they conclude, from 
the chains and rings with which these dungeons were pro- 
vided, that it was the emperor's design to provide accommo- 
dations in them for a large portion of the Hungarian nobility. 
Pest is the seat of the only Hungarian University. The 
students are about fifteen hundred in number. The library 
contains about ten thousand volumes. The churches are 
{"ew in number in proportion to the population. The National 
Museum contains a collection of natural history, confined 
almost entirely to the native productions of Hungary. The 
fossil remains are highly interesting. Many perfect skulls 
and other bones of rhinoceros are preserved from the bed of 
the Theiss, in which an immense deposit of such relics of a 
a former world seems to exist ; mammoth bones from the 
Banat, and the Danube near Presburg ; mastodon tusks, &c. 
from Temesvar ; cave bones of bears, hyenas, &;c. from 
county Bihar. 

The Field of Rakos is a plain, a short distance out of town, 
memorable in Hungarian history, because the Diet, the great 
national assembly of the Maggars, was anciently held in it, 
in the open air. On these occasions, the deputies repaired 
hither on horseback ; the Magnates armed to the teeth, and 



22^^ OPrRESSION OF THE POOR BUDA BATHS. 

the chief ecclesiastics in their sacerdotal robes, with mitre 
and crosier, each attended by a large retinue of vassals, so 
that the nnultitude assembled was sometimes swelled to one 
hundred thousand men, who dwelt in tents while the delibera- 
tions lasted. 

The stranger arriving at Pest, is surprised to observe, that 
he and all other persons who have a good coat on their backs, 
are allowed to pass the bridge, which connects with Buda on 
the other side of the river, toll-free; while those, who, from 
their costume, appear to belong to the class of peasants, of 
the poorer and lower orders, and especially beggars in rags, are 
compelled to pay. The reason given is, that, " The nobleman 
in every part of Hungary is free from tolls, tax and impost, 
of what kind soever, and that this is the Hungarian constitu- 
tion !" This monstrous anomaly is not only the law of the 
land, but is esteemed by the Hungarians a fundamental prin- 
ciple of freedom ! 1 The Hungarian Diet has at length, 
decreed, (after a severe opposition from interested parties,) 
that a permanent bridge be substituted for that of boats, be- 
tween Pest and Buda. And they have shown a regard to 
justice, in decreeing that persons of all classes, noble and 
ignoble, shall pay loll to cross over this new bridge. 

Buda, \Vhich is connected to Pest by the bridge already 
mentioned, moored across the Danube, here fourteen hundred 
and eighty feet wide, was the old capital of Hungary. The 
population is about thirty thousand. The upper town of 
Buda, called the Fortress, is situated proudly on the summit 
of a commanding rock ; it has the air of a feudal citadel, 
though, after braving twenty sieges in the course of three 
centuries, from Christian and Mahommedan, the original for- 
tress has disappeared, except a few walls and bastions. The 
most conspicuous buildings now on the rock, are, the modern 
palace of the Palatine, in the Italian style, and a mutilated 
Gothic church, which, for more than a century, was con- 
verted by the Turks into a mosque, and bore on its tower the 
crescent instead of the cross. Buda also contains a very 
large and extensive armoury, embracing every variety of 
curious and ancient arms and armour of all descriptions. 

From the foot of the mountain, against which Buda is built, 
stream forth copious springs of hot sulphureous water. No 
less than three public Turkish baths remain to this day, in so 
perfect a state as still to be used by the common people. The 
largest and best preserved, is near the bridge. On opening 
the low door, the visiter is met by such a cloud of steam, and 
so disagreeable an odour of sulphur, as to make him hesitate 



INUNDATIONS FLOATING MILLS. 229 

about entering. The apartment is also so dark, that at first 
he cannot see a foot before him. In a few minutes after en- 
tering, the eyes become accustomed to the gloom, and begia 
to discern objects through the darkness. He finds himself in 
a spacious circular vault or dome, supported by eight massive 
columns, surrounding a basin of water, so hot, that the va- 
pour rising from it fills the whole interior, and falls in drops 
from the ceiling. The dim light, partially admitted through 
one or two very small windows, barely enables him to pene- 
trate the dense atmosphere. By degrees he discovers in the 
basin a crowd of bathers, male and female, of the very lowest 
order, promiscuously intermingled ; the former stark-naked, 
the latter little better, being only partially covered by their 
long tresses falling about them. Others are seen squatting 
on the floor, depositing their filthy rags previously to enjoying 
this cheap luxury ; and not a few, stretched at full length, 
upon the stone benches along the walls, taking a vapour 
bath. The scene is curious, but to a refined mind, extremely 
disgusting. 

The river is usually covered with ice from December to 
March. The breaking up of the ice is attended at times with 
great loss of property and life. It sometimes happens, that 
one hundred lives are lost in the river in one season. If, at 
the commencement of spring, the thaw be sudden, the water 
comes down in a body, bursts through the ice with an explo- 
sion like artillery, tossing up vast masses into the air, and 
forcing icebergs, many tons in weight, ashore, and into the 
streets of Pest. The most calamitous inundations ensue whea 
the ice in the higher part of the river, breaks up before it 
begins to stir lower down. When this is apprehended, watch- 
men are posted all along the banks on every eminence, who 
give notice of any movement, by firing alarm guns all along 
the line. At such times a party of flying artillery is called out 
at Pest, to discharge vollies into the solid ice, and thus hasten 
its departure, and open an outlet for the rising water. 

From Pest we started in another steamer for Vienna. The 
scenery along this part of the river is very monotonous; on 
each side is a low sand-bank, with now and then a tuft of 
willows, a village, and a fleet of water-mills stretching obli- 
quely in long lines from the shore into the middle of the 
river. They consist of a water-wheel suspended between two 
boats, moored in the line of the current; one of them serving 
as a dwelling for the miller. After a tedious passage of two 
days, against a strong current, we arrived at Vienna. Thus 
seventeen days were occupied, with some detensions on the 

20 



230 VIENNA — THE GLACIS. 

way, between Constantinople, a distance of eighteen hundred 
miles, of which fifteen hundred and fifty were on the Danube 
and along its shores. 

Vienna, the capital of the Austrian dominions, the Imperial 
city, being the residence of the Emperor and the seat of go- 
vernment, contains, with its suberbs, about three hundred 
and seventy thousand inhabitants. It is situated about two 
miles from the main stream of the Danube, a small branch 
passing under the walls. It consists of an interior town, sur- 
rounded by a wall, and thirty-four exterior towns forming the 
suberbs. The interior, or city proper, contains about sixty 
thousand inhabitants. 

On arriving at the outer fortifications or lines, passports 
are demanded, and are taken away from the traveller, who 
is required to state where he intends to reside. After re- 
tiring to his lodgings, he must appear within twenty-four 
hours at the police, where he receives his permission for re- 
maining for any period not exceeding six weeks. At the ex- 
piration of this permission, if he intend remaining longer he 
must be punctual in getting it renewed, as negligence on this 
point is attended with unpleasant circumstances. 

The thirty-four suburbs, which encompass the city on all 
sides, greatly surpass it in extent. After passing through the 
suburbs the traveller enters upon a wide open space, covered 
with grass, planted with trees, and traversed by roads and 
walks in all directions. This is the Glacis, a broad band en- 
circling the city, outside the walls, and separating it from the 
suburbs. It formed, originally, part of the fortifications, but 
is now a walk for the inhabitants, and may be regarded as 
the lungs of this great city. Nearly all the finest buildings 
of the suburbs face towards the Glacis. Beyond this espla- 
nade lies the city proper, still retaining the appearance of a 
fortified place, since it is surrounded by a deep fosse of high 
walls. It is entered by dark cavern-like archways, running 
under the walls, which, with their projecting bastions, are 
usually comprehended under the name of Bastions. Vienna 
and its suburbs may be compared to a spider's web, in the 
arrangement of the streets, as they all tend to meet together 
in one point in the centre, near the Cathedral of St. Ste- 
phen's, and radiate thence to the Bastions, and across the 
Glacis, and through the suburbs as far as the outer lines. 

Vienna differs from most other European capitals in this 
respect, that the old part of the town, and not the new, is the 
most fashionable. Within the bastions are palaces of the 
Emperor, and of some of the principal nobility, the piiblic 



IMPERIAL PALACE JEWEL OFFICE. 231 

offices, the finest churches, and most of the museums and 
public collections, together with the colleges, the Exchange, 
and the most splendid shops. The suburbs likewise contain 
some fine buildings and sumptuous palaces. In the city the 
streets are narrow, the houses lofty, and crowded ; in the 
suburbs the streets are wider. 

The Royal Imperial Palace, an ancient building, of various 
dates and irregular structure, is not more imposing from its 
architecture, though more considerable in extent, than many 
other European palaces. At the door of the Emperor's cabi- 
net may be seen a notice, to the effect that all persons having 
business, or occasion to seek an interview with him, may 
obtain admission by leaving their names with his secretary a 
few days beforehand. Availing themselves of this gracious 
permission, the poorest peasant, the most humble subject of 
the Emperor, from the most remote district of his dominions, 
may obtain a private audience, and find a patient listener to 
his complaints. The present Emperor admits his humbler 
subjects to a public audience every Thursday, without any 
ceremony or regulations in regard to dress. In this manner 
three hundred petitions are sometimes presented in a morning. 
On Wednesday he gives private audience to those who require 
it, without any of his attendants being present, to between 
sixty and seventy persons. 

In the Royal Library, attached to the palace, are three 
hundred thousand volumes, and sixteen thousand MSS. The 
most remarkable curiosities of the Jewel Office are the Re- 
galia of Charlemagne, taken from his grave at Aix-la-Cha- 
pelle, used at the coronation of the Roman Emperors for 
many centuries. They consist of his crown, sceptre, orb, 
&c. Along with the regalia are preserved the sacred relics, 
also produced at the coronation of the Roman Emperor, such 
as the holy spear and nails of the cross, a tooth of John the 
Baptist, a piece of the coat of St. John the Evangelist, three 
links of the chain of St. Peter, Paul and John, the arm-bone 
of St. Anne, a piece of the true cross, a portion of the table- 
cloth used at the last supper, and other similar articles, 
equally silly and ridiculous ! A curious piece of clock-work 
is exhibited here, presented by the Landgrave of Hesse to the 
Empress Maria Theresa. As often as the clock strikes, 
figures of the Emperor and Empress and the Landgrave ad- 
vance, while Fame, by an ingenious contrivance, writes, in 
golden letters, a laudatory inscription. 

The Imperial Arsenal is one of the richest and most exten- 
sive armories in Europe. The enormous chain of eight thou- 



232 IMPERIAL ARSENAL CATHEDRAL OF ST. STEPHEN'S. 

sand links, which the Turks threw across the Danube, for the 
purpose of obstructing the navigation of the river, in 1529, is 
hung in festoons around the walls within the court-yard. In 
the upper room one hundred and fifty thousand stand of arms 
are deposited. Here is a great store of ancient weapons of 
various dates, a large collection of armour actually worn by 
illustrious persons, the balloon used by the French Marshal, 
Jourdan, to reconnoitre the Austrian army, previously to the 
battle of Fleurus, &c. &c. In one of the private palaces of 
the nobility, in the suburbs of the city, in an armoury con- 
taining a number of articles of ancient armour, I saw that of 
an immense giant of about eight feet high. It appeared 
almost incredible that any human being should ever have 
carried upon his person such a weight of metal. 

In the neighbourhood of the Imperial palace are congre- 
gated the princely abodes of Austrian, Bohemian, and Hun- 
garian nobility, perhaps the most wealthy in Europe, after 
the British. 

The dwelling-houses in Vienna are mostly of very large 
dimensions, and it rarely happens that they are entirely oc- 
cupied by one family. Many single edifices, from their vast 
size and the number of families occupying them, would form 
a small town. They are let out in stories or flats, are ap- 
proached by a common stair, and one floor ofien contains two 
or three domiciles. One of the largest buildings in the city 
is the Schotten Hof, attached to the church of the Scotch 
Benedictines. The building called Trattner Hof produces 
sixty thousand gulden of rent annually, and is inhabited by 
four hundred persons. Another produces one hundred and 
seventy thousand gulden, and is occupied by twelve hundred 
inhabitants. Another, in the suburbs, contains two thousand 
inhabitants. 

All that is lofty, imposing, and sublime in the Gothic style 
of architecture, is united in the Cathedral of St. Stephen's. It 
stands nearly in the centre of the city proper. The church 
is constructed entirely of hewn stone, and the roof is coverec 
with coloured tiles. The length of the building is three hun- 
dred and forty-two feet, its greatest breadth two hundred and 
twenty-two, its front one hundred and forty-four. It has 
thirty-one lofty windows, and five entries. On the outside of 
the building is much rich tracery, and sorne curious carvings 
and monuments. The doorways are beautiful specimens of 
Gothic ornament. The general character of the interior is 
dusky and gloomy, but the height of the choir, the size of the 
pillars, the abundance of rich sculpture, the glowing lints of 



CAPUCHIN CHURCH CHURCH OF THE AUGUSTINES. 233 

ancient painted glass, the beautiful forms of the two rose or wheel 
windows, all contribute to the imposing effect of this splendid 
cathedral. At the extremity of the right hand aisle is the 
marble monument of the Emperor Frederick III., ornamented 
with two hundred and forty figures and forty coats of arms. 
The tower was seventy- four years completing. It is four 
hundred and sixty-five feet high. The copper eagle on the 
top weighs one hundred and twenty pounds. The larger bell 
is made of the one hundred and eighty pieces of cannon 
taken from the Turks after their repulse from the walls. It 
weighs 357 cwt. This magnificent tower inclines more than 
three feet out of the perpendicular, in consequence either of 
injuries received during the Turkish and French bombard- 
ment, or perhaps from the shock of an earthquake. The 
view from the top is grand and most extensive. 

Vast catacombs extend entirely under the church, which 
are filled up to the roof with coflins, destitute of monument 
or memorial of any kind, and exhibit the hideous spectacle of 
a charnel-house of the largest dimensions. Separated from 
this vast common sepulchre is the Crypt, which served as a 
burial-place for the imperial family, from the fourteenth to the 
seventeenth centuries ; and even now the curious practice 
prevails of interring their bowels in St. Stephen's, and their 
hearts in the church of the Augustines, although their bodies 
are deposited in the vault of the church of the Capuchins. 

The Capuchin Church is remarkable only for containing 
the burial-vault of the Imperial family. It contains, in all, 
nearly seventy metal coffins. The oldest is that of the Em- 
peror Matthias ; the most splendid are those of Margaret of 
Spain, first wife of Leopold I., of pure silver ; and of Maria 
Theresa, and her son, Joseph II. The most interesting 
sarcophagus is that of young Napoleon, the Duke of Reich- 
stadt. 

The chief ornament of the Church of the Augustines is the 
beautiful monument of the Archduchess Christina, of Saxe 
Teschen. A pyramid of grayish marble, twenty-eight feet 
high, and connected by two broad steps, with a long and solid 
base, is placed against the wall of the church. In the centre 
of the pyramid is an opening, representing the entrance of the 
funeral -vault, and two melancholy groups are slowly ascend- 
ing towards this entrance. The first consists of Virtue, bear- 
ing the urn which contains the ashes of the deceased, to be 
deposited in the tomb, and by her side are twin little girls, 
carrying torches to illuminate the gloomy sepulchre. Behind 
them, Benevolence descends the steps, supporting an old man, 

20* 



234 GRAND PEOCESSION. 

who seems scarcely able to toiler along, so rapidly is he sink- 
ing beneath age, infirmity, and grief. A child accompanies 
him, folding its little hands, and hanging down its head in 
infantine sorrow. On the other side couches a melancholy 
lion, and beside him reclines a desponding genius. Over the 
door of the vault is a medallion of the Archduchess, held up 
by Happiness, and opposite, a genius on the wing presents to 
her the palm of triumph. The last two figures, as well as the 
portrait, are only in relief on the body of the pyramid, all the 
others are round, and all are as large as life. An air of soft 
and tranquil melancholy pervades the whole composition, and 
a spectator, without being very forcibly struck at first, feels 
pensiveness and admiration grov^^ing upon him. 

Vienna contains a great many galleries of superior paint- 
ings ; some most splendid collections in the private palaces of 
the nobility. 

The 24th May was a great day at Vienna, being some 
Popish celebration. The Emperor and Empress, with twen- 
ty-four ladies in her train, preceded by a cardinal, and ac- 
companied by all the nobility and officers of state, the Italian 
and Hungarian guards, and thousands of others, commenced 
a religious procession at St. Stephen's. The streets were 
adorned with green branches of trees, and the whole city 
seemed to have turned out to witness or engage in this pa- 
geant. We procured a good room, with windows facing the 
line of procession. The representative of the pontiff seemed 
to have more honours conferred upon him, than the Emperor 
himself. He marched on foot before the Emperor, under a 
splendid canopy born by eight men, which completely screen- 
ed him from the rays of the sun ; while the Emperor himself 
marched behind hinj, also on foot, but uncovered, without hat, 
and in the open sun. The Empress followed him, dressed in 
a long flowing robe, the trail of which was held up from the 
ground by two gentlemen of rank. Then followed the twenty- 
four ladies of honour, each one having her long rich trail 
supported by two attendants. The Empress and her ladies 
were likewise entirely exposed to the rays of the sun, with 
nothing to screen even their heads, excepting their caps, 
richly decorated. Next followed the Italian and Hungarian 
guards, dressed in gay scarlet hussar uniforms, enriched with 
silver lace, the tiger-skin hanging from the snoulder, with 
their high fur caps surmounted by the heron's plume, and 
mounted on spirited horses richly caparisoned, presenting the 
most brilliant parade corps in Europe. After these, at least 
twenty thousand persons of all descriptions followed in the 



DANCING SALOONS HOSPITALS. 2J35 

procession. They marched in this manner to three of the 
principal churches, at each of which some services were per- 
formed in front, and in the open street, and then returned to 
St. Stephen's ; occupying between three and four hours in the 
whole ceremonies and procession. We had a distinct view of 
the Emperor: he is evidently a weak man, both in mind and 
body. 

Vienna abounds in theatres and dancing-saloons. The 
latter are large and splendid establishments, and are more 
particularly frequented on Sunday evenings. No regard is 
paid to the Sabbath in papal countries. In one of these 
saloons, accommodations are provided for ten thousand people 
to dance and obtain refreshments. 

The Normal School, the University, the Hospitals, &c., 
are generally well conducted, and diffuse their various bene- 
fits to the city and country. Connected with the General 
Hospital is an institution for laying-in women, to which per- 
sons may be admitted in the most secret manner, and will 
receive every medical assistance and the best care; and, 
having paid a trifling sum, may quit the house perfectly un- 
discovered. The child is either taken by the mother, or left 
to be placed in the Foundling Hospital. The mother, on 
leaving a child at the door, receives a ticket, by presenting 
which she may at any time reclaim her offspring, which is, 
otherwise, at a proper age, put to some useful trade or em- 
ployment. It is said, that in 1837, sixteen thousand nine 
hundred and forty-two children were received into the Foun- 
dling Hospital. The moral tendency of such regulations may 
be a subject of animadversion ; for the immense multitudes of 
illegitimate children in and around Vienna, and generally 
throughout Austria, is sufficient evidence of the moral effects 
of such institutions; but their humanity is not to be doubted. 

The Viennese neither want the inclination nor the means of 
amusing themselves in the open air. The city walls form 
an agreeable terrace walk, planted with trees, and being fifty 
feet high, command a pleasant view both towards the city and 
suburbs. Those near the palace are most frequented, and 
present a lively scene during the afternoon and evening. It 
takes about an hour to walk round the city on the walls. 
The tower moat, formerly filled with water, but now a dry 
valley surrounding the walls, enclosed on one side by the 
ramparts, fifty feet high, and on the other by a grassy de- 
clivity of half the same elevation, affords a ride, drive, or 
walk, in a long valley of lofty poplars, protected from the 



236 PROMENADES. 

wind in boisterous weather. The private gardens attached 
to the palaces of different princes are thrown open to the pub- 
lic, according to the liberal practice of the continent. 

The glacis also affords a delightful promenade. The sub- 
urbs lie at a pretty equal distance of about six hundred 
paces around the walls: the intervening space, as has been 
already stated, is called the Glacis. It consists chiefly of 
lawn, intersected with alleys of lime, chestnut, and acacia 
trees, in various directions, and a broad, well-paved causeway 
in the middle. It is a most beautiful place ; and here thousands 
may be seen at certain hours promenading in all directions. 
Even on ordinary occasions, the stream of population per- 
petually passing and repassing across the glacis, from the city 
to the suburbs, and from the suburbs to the city, pouring in 
and out of the city gates, is not inferior to that in the most 
crowded quarters of London or Paris. 

The Prater is a part of the remains of a magnificent forest, 
still retaining a sufficient number of majestic trees to give evi- 
dent proof of its antiquity. On reaching the end of the street 
Jagerzeil, about one mile from the bastions, the whole forest 
presents itself, intersected by six alleys, or avenues, opening 
from a large circular space, nearly in the form of a fan. 
The chief alley is by far the longest, being about two miles in 
length, and is the most frequented, being the resort of all the 
gay and fashionable. It is divided in its whole length into 
three sections ; the middle broad causeway is for carriages, 
both going and returning; the right for equestrians, and the 
left for pedestrians. This alley leads to the Panorama, the 
Circus, and the Coffee-houses, the resort of the higher classes, 
around which they sit under the shade in the open air, and 
take their tea or coffee. At the end of this alley is a sort of 
pavillion, called the Lusthaus, close to an arm of the Danube, 
commanding pleasing prospects through the trees. This 
building forms the boundary of the drive ; carriages turn at 
this point, and in the summer season they are often so 
numerous as to form an unbroken line from St. Stephen's 
Place, in the city, up to thi& pavillion. Upon Easter Monday, 
the great day for visiting the Prater, no less than twenty 
thousand persons collect here; and all the new equipages and 
liveries are then displayed for the first time. It is hardly 
possible to conceive of the splendid display then made. If it 
is possible to move at a quicker rate than a snail's pace, then 
the Prater is not full. Here is no distinction ; the humble 
fiacre is admitted by the side of the princely four-in-hand, 



THE TRATER EADEN. 237 

and not unfrequently the Emperor's ambling coursers are 
stopped by the clumsy hackney-coachman who has cut into 
the line immediately before him. 

He who confines himself to the drive, however, has seen 
but half of the Prater, and that not the most amusing or 
characteristic portion. A few steps behind the coffee-houses, 
the Prater of the great or fashionable world ends, and that of 
the common people begins. On holidays, it has all the ap- 
pearance of a great fair. As far as the eye can reach, under 
the trees and over the greensward, appears one great encamp- 
ment of suttlers' booths and huts. The smoke is consiantly 
ascending from these rustic kitchens, while 'long rows of 
tables and benches, never empty of guests or bare of beer-jugs 
and wine-bottles, are spread under the shade. Shows and 
theatres, mountebanks, jugglers, punchinellos, rope-dancing, 
fireworks, roundabouts, merry-go-rounds, with which the 
wood is here interspersed, are the allurements which entice 
on every side. But, in order to form any tolerable notion of 
the scene, the laughter, joviality, the songs, and the dances, 
the perpetual strains of music playing to the restless measure 
of the waltz, must be taken into consideration. It is here, 
that the joyous and careless character of the Austrians has 
full scope for display. 

I rode out to Baden on the railroad, which had not been 
long in operation. The town contains about four thousand 
five hundred inhabitants ; and lies in the midst of vineyards, 
at the foot of the Styrian Alps, about fourteen miles from 
Vienna. It was known to the Romans by the name of 
Thermse Cetise. The warm springs, loaded with sulphur, 
and strongly impregnated with carbonic acid gas, issue from 
beneath a low eminence of limestone, which, a few years ago, 
was only bare rock, but is now clothed with artificial groves, 
and hewn out into romantic walks. Not a few, though in 
perfect health, take a strange pleasure in being in such a 
crowd, as use the bath together, males and females mixed 
promiscuously, and sit, or move slowly about, for an hour or 
two, up to the neck in the steaming water. The ladies enter 
and depart by one side, and the gentlemen by another ; but 
in the bath itself is no separation: nay, politeness requires, 
that a gentleman, when he sees a lady moving, or attempting 
to move alone, shall offer himself as her supporter during the 
aquatic promenade. Baden contains nothing remarkable be- 
yond its mineral water. I was told that, on the Sabbath, 
and on holidays, from ten to twelve thousand visiters assemble 
here from Vienna. 



238 SCIIONBRUN. 

I also visited Schonbrun, the Palace of the Emperor, and 
his usual summer residence, situated about two miles from 
the city. It is said to be the largest of the imperial palaces. 
The approach to Schonbrun is over a handsome stone bridge, 
crossing the river Wien. 1 arrived at a large and massive 
iron gate, with two stone obelisks, each surmounted by a 
golden eagle. This leads to a very extensive square, with a 
fountain on each, side ornamented with figures ; the palace in 
front. The entry on the ground-floor forms an open, arched 
hall, resting on pillars, and running through to the garden 
behind ; in this hall are two figures of Hercules, of a dark, 
hard metal, so contrived as to serve for stones. The apart- 
ments consist of spacious halls, finely furnished with rich 
tapestries, splendid mirrors, elegant chandeliers, excellent 
paintings, busts, clocks, &c. This building was occupied by 
Napoleon in 1809, when the treaty of Schonbrun was signed. 
His son, the Duke of Reichstadt, died here at the age of 
twenty-one, in 1832, in the same apartment in the left wing, 
overlooking the garden, and on the same bed, it is" said, 
which his father had occupied. 

An immense garden surrounds the building on three sides; 
the two divisions, right and left of the palace, contain the 
finer species of fruits and flowers, pine-apple beds, and a 
small orangery; these are exclusively for the imperial fa* 
mily. One of these is a botanical treasury, where the most 
rare plants are to be found. The large garden, immediately 
behind the palace, is open to the public at all seasons and at 
all hours. This is all laid out in the old French style, with 
broad, straight alleys of clipped trees, forming arched roofs, 
impenetrable to the sun', and unquestionably one of the finest 
specimens of this kind of garden in Europe. The centre is 
an open lawn, the whole breadth of the palace, whose back 
windows look immediately upon it ; here are several broad 
paths, with every here and there a flower bed ; and the whole 
is enclosed by beautiful' hedges. To the right and left are 
fountains, ponds, terraces, arbours, a small pheasantry, a 
labyrinth, a pine grove, and open and covered alleys, with 
rows of majestic old lime trees, stretching the whole length 
of the garden. 

This last garden extends to the foot of an eminence oppo- 
site, on which stands the Glorietta. This eminence runs the 
whole length of the garden, is planted with a small grove, 
and has paths leading through it in difl^erent directions. The 
Glorietta is a handsome temple, three hundred feet long, and 
sixty feet high, composed of a colonnade of Doric pillars, 



DEPARTURE FROM VIENNA POLICE OF AUSTRIA. 239 

with a fine double flight of marble steps. In the middle is a 
spacious hall, ornamented with mirrors. On the roof is a 
platforms urrounded with a stone balustrade ; this is ascended 
by a staircase, or in a sort of box raised by machinery. It 
commands a most agreeable and extensive prospect over the 
gardens and palace beneath ; the metropolis, with the inter- 
vening plain along the foot of the Kahlenberg chain ; and in 
the other direction, the villages towards the Briel, and Luxen- 
bergh, with the Hungarian ridge in the distance. 

At Vienna, the party with which I had so long travelled, 
separated from me. Yet, whilst in the place and vicinity, I 
experienced more sociability, and kind, open-hearted hospita- 
lity, than in any other part of Europe. 

Preparing to leave Vienna, 1 had to attend at the police- 
office for my passport. Besides this, no one is allowed to 
leave Vienna, or pass through the outer lines, without exhi- 
biting a ticket obtained at the police-office with his passport. 
The registers kept at the police-offices in Austria are so. full 
and complete, that the whole history of an individual, from 
the day of his birth, his changes of abode, his journeys, in 
fact, all his movements, may be ascertained with the greatest 
precision. The time of arrival, departure, residence, &c. of 
every stranger, is carefully entered in the books, and, by re- 
ference to them, the traveller has the best means of gaining 
information respecting friends whom he may expect to meet. 
A remarkable instance occurred of an Italian lady's recover- 
ing her son, who had run away from home ten years before; 
who not only found him, but ascertained all that he had been 
about during that period. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Neustadt — Iron Virgin- — Maiden's Leap — Castle of Gosting — Gratz 
Remains of Ferdinand II. — Laibach — Idria — Quicksilver Mines — 
Lake of Zirknitz — Grotto of Adelsberg — Proteus Anguinus — The 
Karst — Trieste — Inhabitants — Capo di Istria — Pola — Amphitheatre 
— Temple of Augustus and Roma. 

1 LEFT Vienna for Gratz, distant one hundred and thirty- 
two miles. Neustadt lies in the route, which, from its y)ro- 
verbial loyally to the Austrian princes, received the epithet 
ever faithful. It numbers about ten thousand inhabitants. 
In 1834, a tremendous conflagration, rendered more terrible 
by a high wind and a previous drought, which had dried up 
the springs and rendered the wooden roofs of the houses as 
inflammable as tinder, reduced to ashes five hundred and 
seventy houses, leaving only fourteen standing. Great dis- 
tress ensued. It has, however, been rebuilt. The place 
contains a Military Academy, the only one for the prepara- 
tory instruction of officers of the line in the Austrian domi- 
nions. The pupils, four hundred in number, are gratuitously 
lodged and educated. The academy is situated in the old 
ducal castle, which contains a beautiful Gothic Chapel of St. 
George, built in 1460, rich in painted windows. The Empe- 
ror Maximilian is buried under the altar. Beyond Neustadt, 
a few miles to the east of the road, is the Castle of Feisbritz, 
the owner of which. Baron Dietrich, has a very curious col- 
lection of ancient armour, including, perhaps, the only speci- 
men existing of the Iron Virgin, a horrible instrument of tor- 
ture, brought from Nuremberg', containing concealed poniards, 
which was made to open and clasp the unfortunate victim 
subjected to its embrace. 

Immec^ately outside of the gate of Schottwien, a town situ- 
ated in a narrow defile at the foot of the Semmering moun- 
tain, which forms the partition-wall between Austria and 
Styria, the road begins to ascend, and is. carried upwards by 
zigzags, to a height of three thousand one hundred and twenty- 
five feet above the sea. On the summit level is a stone mo- 
nument to commemorate its construction, in 1728, by the 
Emperor Charles VI. 



maiden's leap CASTLE OF COSTING — -GRATZ. 241 

Many towers and castles were passed on our route, and 
much interesting scenery. A narrow defile, shut in by high 
rocks, partly wooded, intervenes between Peggau and Gratz. 
A lofty cliff, which overhangs the Mur, goes by the name of 
the Maiden's Leap, from a popular tradition of a beautiful 
girl, the daughter of the lord of the adjoining ruined Castle 
of Gosting, who, being beloved by two friends, to prevent 
dissension between them, refrained from declaring her pre- 
ference for one or the other. But the course which she pur- 
sued had a different result from that which she had hoped. 
The rival suitors became deadliest foes, met, and fought. 
One was mortally wounded, and he was the maiden's choice, 
who, on hearing the result of the combat, threw herself from 
the precipice. 

The Castle of Gosting bade defiance to the Turks, who 
laid siege to it when they invaded this country. It is a 
favourite place of resort with the people of Gratz. The 
view from it is very fine, and it is surrounded by woods, 
affording shady walks. Here the defile ends, and the hills 
which bound the valley of the Mur, diverging from the river, 
give place to a beautiful and fertile plain, about five miles 
broad, and eighteen or twenty long, in the centre of which 
rise the town and castle-hill of Gratz. 

Gratz is the capital of Styria, the seat of a university, the 
residence of the bishop of Seekau, and the place of meeting 
of the Styrian Estates. It is situated on the river Mur, and 
contains a population of forty thousand. The beauty of its 
situation is much and justly vaunted by its inhabitants. In 
order to enjoy the view, it is necessary to ascend the Schloss- 
berg, a hill rising up in the centre of the town, formerly oc- 
cupied by the citadel, which was destroyed by the French in 
1809, after a siege of seven days, so that a few walls and 
towers alone remain. The hill is now converted into a place 
of public recreation, by the construction of pleasant walks 
up to the top, from which, and especially from the station of 
the fire-watch, an agreeable panorama is presented of the 
town and surrounding country. The Mur, whose course 
may bo followed by the eye to a considerable distance, often 
inundates its banks, causing great devastation. 

The churches are not very remarkable. The Gothic Dom 
is the principal. Near it is the mausoleum of the Emperor 
Ferdinand II., Duke of Styria, a neglected chapel, in the 
Italian style. In a vault beneath is his monument, sur- 
mounted by the marble effigies of himself and his consort. 
Through an opening, which has been forced in it, the coffin- 

21 



242 REMAI?<"S OF FEEDINANI) II. — LVTBACH — IDRIA. 

lid is opened by the sacristan, and the little remaining dust 
of the relentless persecutor of the Protestants, who hunted 
them like wild beasts through the mountains of Styria, and 
burned more than ten thousand Protestant works within the 
town, who aided and abetted in the murder of his successful 
champion, Wallenstein, is exposed to the gaze of the idle 
spectator. 

Gratz possesses, since 1812, a very praiseworthy and 
interesting institution, called the Johanneum, from its 
founder, the patriotic and enlightened Archduke John. Its 
object is the encouragement of the arts, sciences, and manu- 
factures of Styria, by the formation of collections of its vari- 
ous natural and artificial productions, by a library, and by 
gratuitous lectures, delivered by professors attached to the 
establishment. 

I left Gratz for Trieste, distant two hundred and twelve 
miles. I stopped at Laibach, (the ^mona of the Romans,) 
and spent some time in examining the place and vicinity. It 
is the chief town of Carniola, and contains about thirteen 
thousand inhabitants, including the garrison. The town is 
grouped around the castle-hill ; the castle is converted into a 
state-prison and house of correction. The Congress held 
here in 1,820-21, has given the place a European celebrity; 
but in the town itself is scarcely any thing worth notice : the 
churches and public buildings are by no means remarkable. 
In the market-place is a pillar inscribed, "In honour of the 
Virgin vanquisher of the Moor," in allusion to a miracle said 
to have been performed during one of the Turkish invasions, 
by her statue, which, when the inhabitants were dispirited, 
and without a general, placed itself at their head, inspired 
them with courage, and led them on to victory over the infidel 
followers of the crescent 1 

About twenty-five miles northwest of Laibach are the 
celebrated quicksilver mines of Idria. The town is situated 
in the depths of a basin-shaped valley, down which roads are 
cut in zigzags, in order to render the town accessible for ve- 
hicles. The town contains about four thousand two hundred 
inhabitants, and of this number about six hundred are em- 
ployed about the mines, though not more than four hundred 
are actually miners. They are enrolled in a corps like sol- 
diers ; and the stranger, on arriving here, is usually waited 
on by a corporal, who will procure him admission to the 
mines, should he wish to visit them. A large building, called 
Schloss, in the centre of the town, contains the offices and 
residences of the managers and clerks of the mines ; and close 



QUICKSILVER MINES. 243 

to it is the entrance, where suits of miners' clothes are pro- 
vided for strangers, to protect their ordinary dress from dirt. 
To the labourers, who are entirely occupied in the mines, the 
atmosphere is highly deleterious, and most of them are said to 
be short-lived. In order, however, to guard as much as pos- 
sible a,gainst the poisonous influence of the mercury, the 
Austrian government, to which the mines belong, carefully 
restrict the time of working to four hours, while in other 
mines it is usually eight ; indeed, in the lower galleries, 
where is the greatest danger of salivation, from the abun- 
dance of volatile mercury, the men are prevented working 
longer than two hours in a fortnight. All the miners are 
free, and are provided for by the government when disabled 
from work. The stories of criminals condemned, for political 
or other offences, to labour in these mines, and to end their 
days in them, after they have once descended, without ever 
seeing the light of the sun, is pure fiction, though still repeat- 
ed in English books. The mine is tolerably clean ; most of 
the passages are vaulted with masonry ; the descent is easy, 
by stone steps, aad [ree from danger. Before descending, 
the miner never fails to sprinkle himself with holy water at 
the little chapel constructed within the mine. The depth of 
the mine is about two hundred and forty fathoms. The rock 
in which the quicksilver occurs is the Jura limestone ; the 
most abundant deposit occurs in a black slaty stratum, 
abounding in fossils. It is found in the state of cinnabar, 
(sulphuret,) and of nature, or virgin quicksilver, and (in the 
latter state) may be seen distributed in glittering drops through 
the slate. A rich vein is accompanied by a remarkable in 
crease of warmth ; and when it is remembered that mercury 
is slightly volatile, even at the ordinary temperature of the 
air, and that the thermometer, in parts of the mine, rises to 
eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit, the injurious effects of breath- 
ing such an atmosphere, upon those who work in it, can be 
fully appreciated. After the great fire of 1803, which raged 
in the mine for several weeks together, the fumes of subli- 
mated mercury penetrated every part of it. 

The process of washing and smelting the ore, when brought 
out of the mine, is highly curious, and is also shown to stran- 
gers. The ore which is not rich enough to be smelted at once, 
is conveyed to the stamping-mill, reduced to small fragments, 
and, mixed with the dust from the floor of the mine, is laid on 
a succession of moveable trays, over which a current of water 
is allowed to pass. The stream, in its passage, clears away 
the light and useless particles, while a jerk, communicated to 



244 LAKE OF ZIKKNITZ. 

the tray by machinery, drives back the metal to the upper end, 
where it is collected. 

The roasting-house is a large building, divided into thir- 
teen compartments, communicating with each other by little 
windows or holes in the partition walls. The central division 
is the furnace, which is vaulted, and has walls much thicker 
than the rest, to bear the heat. Within it are three stages of 
stout iron bars, one above the other. These may be called 
gridirons, for on them the ore, sorted and purified in the 
washing-houses, is laid to be roasted, and the space between 
them is filled with wood. The fire being lighted below, is 
drawn upwards by the draught, and in a short time all three 
stories are in a blaze. The effect of applying heat to the ore 
is to drive off the mercury in the state of vapour ; and thus, 
one of the heaviest metals is divided into such minute parti- 
cles as to float in the air. The smoke arising from the fur- 
nace can only find its way out by the holes in the side-walls 
into the next chamber. That again is closed on all sides ex- 
cept towards the chamber beyond, so that the smoke is com- 
pelled to find its way from one into the other, until, after 
traversing six different divisions, it is allowed to escape into 
the open air. These six chambers are, in fact, nothing more 
nor less than a vast horizontal chimney, contrived to entangle 
the smoke, and detain it as long as possible, so as not to let 
it depart until it has left behind the mercury which rises with 
it. So long as it retains the heat, it remains in the state of 
vapour, and, therefore, in the chambers nearest to the fire, 
little or no mercury is deposited ; but as soon as it reaches 
the more distant chambers, and begins to cool, it flags on its 
wings, clings, mixed with soot, in increasing quantities, to the 
walls of each succeeding chamber, and falls to the floor in the 
shape of small glittering globules. The floor is soon covered 
with a heap of soot, from which the metal disengages itself, 
and runs off by its own weight through gutters into reservoirs 
prepared for its reception. The smoke, eased of its burden, 
is then permitted to go its way. 

Zirknitz is a remarkable lake, about eight miles east of 
Planina, and is worth visiting. It is about four miles long, 
and between two and three miles wide, surrounded by nu- 
merous villages, chapels, castles, and containing five small 
islands. This lake is remarkable for the -singular phenome- 
non of its disappearance, at times for several weeks, or even 
months, during which the peasants make hay, or even sow 
and reap a small crop of buckwheat in its deserted bed, in 
places where they have before thrown their nets for fish. It 



LAKE OF ZlIlltNITZ— GKOTTO OF ADELSBiiRG. 245 

seldom happens, however, that the lake remains long enough 
empty to admit of this ; indeed, sometimes for five or six 
years together, the waters have not retired at all. Generally 
speaking, they drain off in the latter end of August, and re- 
turn, if the season be wet, in five or six weeks, before even 
the coarse grass has been cut. It takes between twenty and 
twenty-five days to empty the lake. The return of the waters 
is sudden and unexpected, and its basin is sometimes refilled 
in twenty-four hours. The explanation of the phenomenon 
is, that though the lake has no outlet above ground, yet the 
limestone which forms its bed is perforated with a great num- 
ber of caves and fissures, many of which are visible. They 
are natural, funnel-shaped holes, some of them fifty feet deep, 
known to the peasantry by particular names, as kettle, cask, 
seive, &c. These communicate with caverns and subterra- 
nean reservoirs, penetrating the interior of the surrounding 
mountains, especially that of Invornig on the south, through 
which the waters are replenished or drawn off. Twelve of 
these openings discharge water as well as draw it oflT, and 
twenty-eight draw it off only. Through the former of these 
the waters pour in, after rainy weather, in vast volumes, as 
from a spout ; two of them especially in the Invornig moun- 
tain, discharge more water than all the rest, and the rush is 
so quick, that the fishermen who happen to be within them at 
the time are obliged to fly before it. The clefts and fissures 
through which the water drains from the interior of the moun- 
tain into these two main channels, are visible in the sides and 
roofs. When the waters have reached the caves of Velka 
Karlauza and Malka Karlauza, they generally cease to rise, 
as these are sufiicient, except in very wet seasons, to dis- 
charge them, and to preserve the surface of the lake at a 
fixed level. The streams discharged through them reappear 
in the valley of St. Kanzian, and, after sinking once more, 
finally join the Unz above Planina. 

Between Planina and Adelsberg the country is hilly and 
desolate. The cavern, known by the name of the Grotto 
of Adelsberg, though little visited by travellers, is decidedly 
the most magnificent, as well as the most extensive in Eu- 
rope. It has been explored to a distance of between three 
and four miles from the entrance. The entrance is situated 
about a mile out of the village, in the face of a cliff, below a 
ruined castle. At this point, the river Poik, after winding 
through the plain, disappears beneath the mountain, sinking 
into the rock, below a natural pent-house, formed by the 
slope of the limestone strata. The entrance for visiters is a 

21* 



246 PROTEUS ANGUINUS, 

small hole above this, closed by an iron gate. At the dis- 
tance of one hundred and eighty yards from the mouth, a 
noise of rushing water is heard, and the Poik may be seen, 
by the light of the taper, struggling along a considerable 
depth below, and on a sudden, a vast hall, one hundred feet 
high, and more than three hundred feet long, called the 
" Dome," is entered. The river having dived under the 
wall of rock on the outside, here reappears for a short 
space, and is then lost in the bowels of the mountain. It is 
believed to be identical with the Ung, which bursts forth at 
Panina; planks of wood, thrown into the stream of the ca- 
vern, appear there, it is said, after ten or twelve hours. The 
Dome was the only part of the cavern known down to 1819, 
when a labourer, working in the cave, accidentally broke 
through a screen of stalactite, and discovered that this was 
but the vestibule of the most magnificent of all the temples 
which nature has built for herself in the region of the night. 
Rude steps, cut in the rock, lead down the sloping sides of 
this chamber to the level of the river, which is crossed by a 
wooden bridge; and the opposite wall is scaled by means of 
a similar flight of steps. Here the visiter enters the newly- 
discovered part of the cavern, consisting of a range of cham- 
bers varying in size, but by far the most interesting, from 
the variety, beautiful purity, and quantity, of their stalactites. 
Sometimes uniting with the stalagmite below, they form a 
pillar worthy to support a cathedral ; at others a crop of mi- 
nute spiculae rises from the floor ; now a cluster of slender 
columns reminds one of the tracery of a Gothic chapel, or of 
the twinings and interlacings of the ascending and descend- 
ing branches of the banyan tree. The fantastic shapes of 
some masses have given rise to various names applied by the 
guides, according to the likeness which they imagine they can 
trace in them to real objects, such as the Throne, the Pulpit, 
the Butcher's-Shop, the Two Hearts, the Bell, which resounds 
almost like metal, and the Curtain, a very singular mass about 
an inch thick, spreading out to an extent of several square 
yards, perfectly resembling a piece of drapery, and beauti- 
fully transparent. 

About three miles from Adelsberg is another cave, remark- 
able for producing that singular animal, the Proteus Angui- 
nus, which lives in its subterranean lake. In appearance it 
is between a fish and a lizard, it is of a flesh colour, and its 
respiring organs combine both internal lungs and gills, so as 
to enable it to breathe above or below the water. It has no 
eyes, but small points in the place of them. 



THE KARST TRIESTE INHABITANTS. 247 

Near Sessina commences that desolate tract, called the 
Karst. It is a table-land of bare limestone rock, believed by 
geologists to correspond in age with the chalk, separating 
Carniola from the coast-land or Littorale. As though the 
ground were not cheerless enough in its barrenness, it is the 
field which that tremendous wind, the Bora (Boreas!) scourges 
with all its fury. No vehicle can stand against it ; the heavy- 
laden wagons which frequent this road, dare not stir while it 
lasts, without being liable to be overturned by the irresistible 
violence of its blasts. 

I reached Trieste somewhat fatigued, yet with a determina- 
tion to make the best of my time in examining the city and 
its environs. Trieste, the chief town of the Austrian Litto- 
rale, or coast-land, and of Illyria, and the most flourishing 
and important sea-port of the Austrian dominions, is situated 
at the northeast extremity of the Adriatic, at the bottom of a 
gulf named after the town. The population is about eighty 
thousand. It has completely supplanted Venice, and it may 
be said to engross the entire trade of the Adriatic. The har- 
bour is formed by a pier (molo) of solid masonry, sixty feet 
wide, stretching from the extremity of the town along a reef 
of half-sunken rocks about twenty-two hundred feet into the 
sea. At its extremity are a fort and light-house. The space 
within the harbour is not sufficient for more than forty or 
fifty vessels of large tonnage. 

The inhabitants of Trieste are a motley race, derived from 
all parts of the world ; some of the richest merchants are 
Greeks, Jews, and English. Among the towns-people may 
be found Germans, Americans, Italians, Greeks, Jews, Arme- 
nians, &c. ; the sailors and fishermen near the quays are 
chiefly Dalmatians. The variety of costumes is consequently 
very great, and many of them highly picturesque. The Ita- 
lian is the prevailing language, and is used in the courts of 
justice; but all the other tongues are spoken ; in the public 
offices German is used. 

The old town occupies the slope of the hill, which is sur- 
mounted by the castle. The Duomo, or Cathedral of San 
Giusto, on the hill near the castle, is remarkable for its an- 
tiquity : it is constructed in the round or Byzantine style. 
Its general appearance is much injured by modern additions. 
Its lower is said to stand on the foundation of a temple of 
Jupiter ,• many Roman inscriptions and some carvings are 
built into the walls. 

Between the old and new town runs the Corso, the princi- 
pal thoroughfare, including the best shops and cafes. The 



248 CAPO Dl IsTKlA rOLA. 

new town, consisting of broad streets and handsome white 
houses, occupies the level space near the harbour. Parts of 
its streets and quays are founded on ground gained from the 
sea or from a salt marsh. A broad canal runs up from the 
water, by means of which vessels of large burden can be un- 
loaded almost at the merchants' doors. At its extremity 
stands the modern church of St. Anthony. 

Outside of the town, on the sea-shore, is the new Laza- 
retto, one of the largest and best arranged in Europe. It has 
a separate harbour, in which sixty vessels can perform qua- 
rantine at once. It contains lodgings for two hundred per- 
sons, and is surrounded by a wall twenty-four feet high. 

The trade of Trieste is principally with the Levant, Egypt, 
England, and Brazil. Steamboats and numerous sailing 
packets keep up the communication with Venice. The in- 
terests of commerce are protected by an excellent institution, 
a Tribunal of Commerce, in which causes relating to mer- 
cantile affairs are judged according to an appropriate code of 
laws. 

Capo di Istria is a place of some note, and can easily be 
reached by land from Trieste. It is a town of six thousand 
inhabitants, occupying a nearly circular island at a short dis- 
tance from the shore, and connected with it by a stone cause- 
way, built by the French, to replace a wooden bridge which 
previously existed. The buildings of the town have com- 
pletely the Venetian character, arising from its long depend- 
ence on that republic. The most remarkable are the Duomo, 
Cathedral, and the Palazzo Publico, of an irregular and singu- 
lar Gothic style, founded on the site of a temple of Cybele ; 
for Capo di Istria is said to be the ancient ^gida. The 
chief manufacture is that of salt, made by inclosing the shal- 
low inlet between the island and the shore with wooden par- 
titions, within which the sea-water is evaporated. All the 
salt made is purchased by the government from the propri- 
etors of the pans, salt being an article of imperial monopoly. 

Pola, about eighty miles by sea from Trieste, can be visited 
by means of land-carriages, readily procured. It possesses 
splendid remains of antiquity, in a very perfect state, which 
are, with probability, assigned to the era of Augustus, and 
attest its ancient wealth and importance. Its situation, also, 
at the bottom of a small bay, almost land-locked, called PortO 
delle Rose, varied with numerous green islands, forming a 
secure harbour, is exquisitely beautiful. It is thus described 
by Sir Humphrey Davy. " We entered the harbour in a 
felucca, as the sun was setting, and I know no scene more 



AMrHITIIEATKE TP^xlIPLE OF AUGUSTUS AND ROMA. 249 

splendid than the Amphitheatre seen from the sea in this light. 
It appears not as a building in ruin, but like a newly erected 
work ; and the reflection of the colours of its brilliant marbles 
and beautiful form, seen upon the calm surface of the waters, 
gave to it a double effect, that of a glorious production of art, 
and a magnificent picture. But the splendid exterior of the 
amphitheatre was not in harmony with the bare and naked 
walls of the interior. None of those durable and grand seats 
of marble were there, such as adorn the amphitheatre of Ve- 
rona." 

This amphitheatre differs from most others, in having four 
angular constructions, like towers, projecting from its circum- 
ference. These are believed to have contained staircases, by 
which the women could ascend to the upper circles. Some 
of the stone benches have been lately discovered. The space 
for a single seat is marked on them with a line, and it appears 
that only about fourteen and a half inches were allowed to 
each person. Some seats bear initials, probably of their 
owners. The amphitheatre was probably capable of contain- 
ing twenty-seven thousand spectators. Its architecture is 
Tuscan. Its shape is oval. It is three hundred and thirty- 
six feet long, two hundred and ninety-two broad, and seventy- 
five high. 

Within the town is the Temple of Augustus and Roma, a 
small but very elegant Corinthian edifice, in perfect preser- 
vation. A Temple of Diana is not in so good a condition, 
having been inclosed within the palace of the Venetian 
governor of the town, and defaced at one end by a Gothic 
front. The Porta Aurea is an elegant triumphal arch, of the 
Corinthian order, erected by Salvia Posthuma to her husband, 
the tribune Sergius Lepidus, on his return from a successful 
campaign. Until very lately this fine monument was partly 
concealed by the town walls. The Austrian Government 
has caused it, and the other remains, to be cleared of the 
encumbrances which surrounded them, and to be repaired so 
as to stop further dilapidations. It is, however, in a very 
dilapidated state, requiring to be propped up by wood. 

The Dom, a structure of the ninth century, is built on the 
ruins of a Roman temple, and includes many ancient frag- 
ments, columns, &c. The modern market-place was probably 
the ancient forum. Many Roman fragments are about it, 
built into the walls. 



CEIAPTER XIX. 

Venice — Peculiar Location — Singular Communication — -Canals — Gon- 
dolas — Bridges — First Impressions— Square of St. Mark — Walking 
Comedians — Square of the Rialto — View from the Campanile — Logetta 
— Ducal Palace — Private Palaces — Casinos — Arsenal — Armoury — 
Strangling Machine, &c. — Doge Wedding ihe Adriatic — Ceremony — 
The Doge and his Senators — Prisons — Hospitals — Custom-House — 
Mint — St. Mark's Church — The Interior — Ceremony of Profession — 
Taking the Veil — Relics — Theatres — Pyramid of Men and Boys — 
Society, &c. — Literature. 

I LEFT Trieste in a steamer, and in about ten hours landed 
in Venice. This is the most picturesque city in Europe, and 
is full of character and variety. It is an unintelligible place 
to any one but an eye-witness. 

To the very nature of the country which they inhabited, 
the Venitians, like the Dutch, were mainly indebted for their 
independence. The Adriatic Guff receives, in its upper part, 
all the waters which flow from the southern declivities of the 
Alps. Every stream carries down, in the rainy season, 
enormous quantities of mud and sand, so that the head of the 
gulf, gradually filled up with their deposite, is neither sea nor 
land. The Lagune, as this immense tract of mud and shoals 
is called, comprising a space of between twenty and thirty 
miles from the shore, is covered with about two feet of water, 
but is intersected by channels which afford a passage and safe 
anchorage to the largest vessels. Amid these shoals and mud- 
banks are certain firmer and more elevated sites, which have 
been inhabited from remote antiquity. When Rome was 
invaded by Alaric, these islands were peopled by refugees 
from the continent, and this was the commencement of the 
powerful republic of Venice. 

The city is situated in the Adriatic, about five miles from 
the main land. It is seven miles in circumference, and stands 
on seventy-two little islands, in a kind of inner gulf, separated 
from the large one, properly called the Gulf of Venice, by 
some islands. The houses are built on piles. The popula- 
tion is about one hundred and fifty thousand. The commu- 
nication between the main land and Venice forms a picturesque 



VENICE PECULIAR LOCATION — CANALS GONDOLAS 251 

scene, of which no person, who has never been there, can form 
any thing like an adequate conception. The mouth of the 
principal lagune opens into the river Brenta, which falls into 
the Gulf of Venice. Here gondolas, or other boats, are 
always taken to navigate the lagune to Venice; and here 
they are hailed by the custom-house boats, to see whether 
they have any thing contraband on board. But these 
visiters are easily got rid of for the consideration of a few 
pence. The gondola then enters into an immense extent of 
water, which seems to have the appearance of a dead sea, 
but yet, so full of banks and shoals, that the navigation 
would be dangerous in the extreme, if it were not for the 
piles driven here and there, as guides to the boatmen. The 
surface, of course, is seldom ruffled. People generally touch 
at the island of St. George, halfway, then, entering the city, 
they row up the grand canal, which, in the form of an S, 
intersects the city nearly in the middle, and is more than 
three hundred feet wide. 

The city is perforated on all sides by the canals that com- 
municate Vv'ith the Lagune and the sea. Most of the canals 
are narrow, and some have no quays, so that the water 
washes the houses. It may be said to be a convenient place 
for cripples; because here a man has no use for his limbs ; 
he steps out of his house into a gondola, and out of the gon- 
dola into his house; this is all the exertion that is necessary 
to traverse the whole city. Thousands are here, who never 
saw a hill or a wood, or an ear of corn growing, or a green 
field. 

The gondolas are long narrow boats, which have a room 
in the middle, six feet by four, covered with black cloth, and 
with sliding windows. Two persons sit very commodiously 
at the end, and two others may sit on each side. These 
gondolas are the only carriages at Venice, and are every 
where within call. They are rowed either by one or two 
gondoliers standing. They are robust, good-humoured, and 
lively ; they pique themselves upon the quickness of their 
repartees, and arc generally esteemed for their fidelity and 
attachment. The gondolas when lighted within and without 
at night, exhibit a singular spectacle upon the dark canals, 
upon which they are generally engaged until five or six in 
the morning, when people of rank usually go to rest. 

The whole city may be traversed also on foot, by means 
of pathways all along the shores of the canals. And the 
communication between different quarters is further assisted 
by upwards of five hundred small bridges across the nume- 



252 FIRST IMPRESSIONS SQUARE OF ST. MARK. 

rous canals, though most of them are not furnished with para- 
pet walls. The grand canal is crossed by the Rialto, a 
marble arch ninety feet in span, and twenty-four feet high ; 
one of the most conspicuous ornaments to the city, but the 
beauty of it is much impaired by two rows of booths or 
shops, which divide its upper surface into three narrow 
streets. The prospect from this bridge is lively and magni- 
ficent. 

At the first sight of Venice the stranger is ready to ex- 
claim : " It is a city all novelty, grandeur, and singularity ; 
a fine city rising out of the waters ; streets converted into 
canals; carriages into gondolas; and private dwellings into 
splendid palaces." He may walk in the illumination of a 
long line of coffee-houses, and observe the variety of costume ; 
the thin veil, covering the pale Venitian beauty; the Turks 
with their beards and caftans, and long pipes and chess 
playing; the Greeks with their skull-caps, and richly-laced 
jackets. But yet he is constrained to notice, that Venice is 
rapidly on the decline. The commerce and official employ- 
ments, which were to be the unexhausted source of Venetian 
grandeur, have both expired. Venice may be said, to die 
daily ; and so general and so apparent is the decline, as to 
become painful to a stranger, not reconciled to the sight of a 
whole nation expiring, as it were, before his eyes. 

The square of St. Mark is generally the first spot to which 
the traveller is introduced upon Terra Firma. It is a kind 
of irregular quadrangle, formed by a number of buildings, 
all singular in their kind; namely, the ducal palace; the 
churches of St. Mark and St. Gemiano ; the old and new 
procuraties; a noble range of buildings, containing the mu- 
seum, the public library, &c. This place is considered as 
the centre of life and motion in this great town; but that 
part of it generally exhibited in prints, is only the smaller 
square, open to the sea, with the two magnificent columns of 
granite, which easily distinguish it at a distance as we ap- 
proach the town. On the right of this, is the Doge's palace; 
on the left, the public library. At its extremity appears a 
corner of St. Mark's church. The large square, placed at a 
right-angle to the other, is surrounded with an arcade, under 
which are most of the cofiee-houses, all of them quite open 
to the street. In the centre of the square, is held the fair of 
St. Mark, in a temporary oval building, consisting of shops 
and coffee-houses. All these places, though of the most ele- 
gant architecture, and exhibiting every sign of opulence and 
splendour, are generally most disgustingly dirty. 



WALKING COMEDIANS SQUARE OP THE RIALTO. 253 

This square is the evening promenade of those who wait 
for the opening of the theatre. Here the walking connedians 
open their performances in the front of the coffee-houses; but 
they mostly give the preference to the Phoenix : the orchestra 
and the theatres are now formed in a few minutes. One of 
the performers has only to describe a circle with his fiddle- 
stick, and he is promptly obeyed by the yielding crowd. The 
overture is always made with one bass, two violins, and a 
clarionet. As soon after as convenient, an actor appears, 
who sings a kind of love song, when another comes forward 
and replies to him, and then a third : thus a chorus is formed; 
but whilst they are warmly engaged in their parts, one of the 
handsomest females is employed to collect money of the spec- 
tators. The coffee-houses, in general, are pretty well cleared 
by the time the regular theatre opens. 

All the porticos in this grand square are occupied by per- 
sons engaged in mercantile concerns. The coffee-houses are 
well lighted by a variety of lamps. Thieves and beggars 
infest the place; of the former, the police sometimes take 
notice, but the latter keep the " noisy tenor of their way," 
without any interruption. 

Among the public squares, next to that of St. Mark, is the 
Rialto, the houses upon which are built upon a double row 
of pillars. The square of St. Stephen contains the beautiful 
church of St. Maria Zobenigo. The square of St. Germaia 
used to be the scene of the bull-fights; in that of St. Paul is 
the equestrian statue of Colleone of Bergamo, general of the 
Venetian troops, who died in 1475. Most of the squares 
contain wooden cisterns, placed there to collect rain-water 
for the use of the common people. Many of the better sort 
purchase the water brought from the continent every morn- 
ing. All these squares, as well as the streets, are paved 
with a kind of gray stone which has the appearance of 
basalt. 

The summit of the campanile, or belfry, three hundred 
and seventy-four feet high, has a gallery, crowned with a 
pyramid, ornamented on each side with sculpture. The pros- 
pect from this gallery is enchanting. On one side, the city, 
with all its canals, domes, and edifices, appears beneath, with 
the sea at a small distance, extended, like a sheet of azure, as 
far as the extremity of the horizon. On the others, the 
mountains of Dalmatia, Islria, and the Tyrol, are seen, with 
the plains of Padua and Lombardy. Around its base people 
are continually promenading, of all nations — from the Levant, 
from Greece, Turkey, &;c., not excepting ecclesiastics and 

22 



254 LOGETTA DUCAL PALACE. 

idlers of every description. The unfortunate Galileo is said 
to have used this tower as an observatory. An angel on the 
summit serves as a weathercock. The stairs up to the belfry 
are so capacious as to admit of a person riding on horseback. 

The logetta, at the foot of this tower, has a marble front, 
with large and small columns, and niches, containing bronze 
statues of the heathen divinities. A balustrade runs around 
the first story, the second, resembling a terrace, is orna- 
mented with fine bas-reliefs. The interior is decorated with 
paintings. 

The Palace of St. Mark, or the Ducal Palace, is very spa- 
cious. Besides the apartments of the Doge, are also halls 
and chambers for the Senate, and all the different councils 
and tribunals. The principal entrance is by the Giant's 
Staircase, so called from the colossal marble statues of Mars 
and Neptune placed at the top, and intended to represent the 
naval and military power of the state. Under the portico, to 
which this staircase leads, are the small openings to represent 
lions' mouths, placed to receive letters, information of trea- 
sonable practices, and the accusations of magistrates for 
abuses in office. From this palace a covered bridge commu- 
nicates with the state prison on the other side of the canal. 
Prisoner^ pass to and from the court over this bridge. This 
palace is said to contain a small arsenal, which communicates 
with the hall of the great council. Here, it is said, a great 
number of muskets used to be kept ready charged, in order 
that the nobles might arm themselves in any case of emer- 
gency. 

Private palaces are numerous at Venice, and are massy in 
the extreme. Many of these palaces, enriched with columns 
of every order, possess fronts richer than those of Rome, or 
other places, where the entrance, the windows, or the cor- 
nices, are the principal ornaments. The staircases, also, are 
very handsome, but, what is most to be regretted, many of 
them are in an unfinished state. They abound in the finest 
paintings. The largest of these palaces are on the banks of 
the Grand Canal. Many of them are in a state of decay, and 
look more like prisons than princely dwellings. A degree 
of melancholy pervades all their magnificence, as the masters 
of many of these superb edifices have deserted their once 
happy dwellings, and sought asylums on foreign shores. 
These patrician mansions would soon' gradually disappear, 
had not the government, alarmed by the demolition of seventy- 
two during the last few years, expressly forbidden this sad 
recourse of poverty. 



CASINOS ARSENAL ARMOURY. 255 

The apartments, neatly fitted up by the nobles and the 
wealthy, but without magnificence, where they may receive 
a few friends in a more easy manner than they do at their 
palaces, are called their Casinos, where, instead of going 
home to a formal supper, they order refreshments, and amuse 
themselves with cards, &c. 

The Arsenal is situated on the east of the city, and seems 
like a separate fortress. It occupies the whole of a small 
islet, about three miles in circumference, and is enclosed 
within high walls, with small towers, occupied by sentinels in 
the night, to give the alarm in cases of accident or fire. A 
tower is also in the centre of the building, where a sentinel 
is placed to see that the others do their duty ; and, for greater 
security, row-boats go around the islet from nightfall to sun- 
rise. It is a part of their charge, not only to keep away 
disaffected persons, but to prevent desertion from the arsenal. 
It has two entrances, one by sea, and the other on the side 
next to the land, towards a small open place, between which 
and the arsenal a bridge of marble leads to the principal gate. 
Over this gate the emblem of Venetian power is exhibited 
in the winged lion. Above this is St. Justin, a figure as 
large as life. On one side, upon a pedestal, is the figure of 
a lion, of an enormous size, in white marble, and near this 
two others of lionesses, taken at Corinth during the Pelopo- 
nesian wars. 

Having passed the principal gate, to the left are some 
buildings used as offices. A marble staircase leads to a 
large hall appropriated to the use of the governor, the in- 
spectors, the captain of the port, and other superior officers. 
Farther on another great gate opens into the interior of the 
arsenal. This is decorated with a Madonna, of very fine 
marble. Here is the armoury, exhibiting pyramids of cannon- 
balls, brass cannon, mortars, &c., of all sizes and descriptions. 
The walls of this armoury are garnished with small-arms of 
every kind, sufficient for eighty thousand men, kept very 
bright, and arranged in difl?erent figures. Here, upon blocks 
representing the human form, we see the different suits of ar- 
mour worn by several illustrious warriors. In a chest, kept 
locked, is that dreadful collar, the inside of which is furnished 
with poisoned points, used by Francis Carrara, Prince of Pa- 
dua, when he wished to get rid of persons who had offended him. 
Here is also the bow, with which he privately shot at whom 
he pleased ; and the luchetto^ or lock of virginity, which he 
compelled his better half to wear during his absence. The 
armour, a present from the Grand Seigneur to the Doge Na- 



256 DOGE WEDDING THE ADRIATIC. 

ziani, when he was in Turkey, is also here, with a marble 
bust of Bonaparte, in the centre of a trophy of arms ; the 
armour presented to the Venetians by Henry IV. of France, 
in gratitude for the information conveyed to him relative to 
an intended assassination; the helmet of Attila, the Goth, 
and the vizor of his horse, both of an enormous weight ; the 
equestrian armour of Guattamelata ; and the strangling ma- 
chine lately used by the Senate, called the Guadiana, the 
body of the sufferer being half-way immersed in the ground, 
the upper parts compressed by this machine, a dreadful death 
was effected. Hemp is spun, and sail-cloth is still manufac- 
tured in this arsenal. Nearly three thousand labourers enter 
and depart from this place every morning and evening. A 
number of women who spin are under an inspector of their 
own sex, and are not allowed to hold any communication with 
any other department, I saw here a number of prisoners at 
work, chained together like beasts of burden. The Bucentaur, 
the splendid vessel used by the Doge in the marriage of the 
sea, with other vessels, such as the magnificent barge or 
vessel in which Bonaparte made his triumphant entry into 
Venice, are laid up near the Arsenal. 

An interval of fifteen years took place before the conclusion 
of the late war, since the ceremony of the marriage between 
the Doge and the sea. This ceremony is thus described by 
an eye-witness. " May 17lh, being Ascension day, and the 
painted Madonna having, with much ado, procured very fine 
weather, (for it seems to be esteemed a miracle to have a fine 
day at Venice in the middle of May,) every body was in mo- 
tion to see this august ceremony, so much talked of, and so 
often described ; nor did the Venetians themselves appear less 
eager for the spectacle than strangers. We first repaired to 
the Ducal Palace, and saw the tables set out with sweetmeats 
and other decorations for the dinner. The Doge presently 
appeared, not exactly with all that alacrity one would expect 
in a bridegroom whose intended spouse was so very favour- 
able and complacent as on the present occasion ; but he had 
passed many such bridal days already, and knew the fickle- 
ness of his mistress's disposition, so that, though in the cere- 
mony he might assume the title of her lord and master, she 
could, at pleasure, very soon make him sensible of the con- 
trary, and however complacent now, might perhaps be in a 
very ill humour before morning. The Doge was accompanied 
by the Pope's nuncio, with the officers of state, and a large 
train of nobles, and with them went on board the Bucentaur, 
which was then rowed and towed towards Lido, an island 



THE DOGE AND HIS SENATORS. 267 

about two miles distant, where stands a church, with a fort 
guarding the approach to Venice from the Adriatic. The flat 
roof of the vessel was spread with crimson velvet, looking 
magnificent among the gilding; but nothing can be more ugly 
than its shape, nor more awkward than its motion. We ac- 
companied it in our gondola, amid a thousand of others, per- 
haps, which covered the sea, with vessels of all description, 
and formed the most striking and curious part of the spec- 
tacle. The ships all saluted the Bucentaur as she passed ; and 
a little before its arrival at Lido, the Doge threw a plain gold 
ring, worth about three sequins, into the sea, with the usual 
speech, ' Desponsamus te^ Mare^in signwn veri perpetuique 
dominii,'* < We espouse thee, O Sea, in witness of the truth 
and perpetuity of your dominion.' This part of the ceremony 
could be seen by those only who were very near. The Doge 
and his suite then attended mass at the church of Lido, with 
no particular functions, during which every body who chose 
it, might go on board the Bucentaur to see its inside; foreigners 
were even permitted to remain on board, and return with the 
Doge. We took advantage of this indulgence. The Doge 
sat on his throne near the stern, with the nuncio, a very keen, 
sensible-looking man, at his right hand ; and the senators, in 
their robes of crimson silk, with great wigs put over their 
hair, were arranged on benches, and intermixed with the 
strangers ; some of whom I was sorry and ashamed to see 
wear their hats, and in very shabby clothes, particularly two 
or three Frenchmen. The Doge's dress was white and gold, 
his cap of the same, formed like a Phaggian bonnet. It was 
a truly fine sight to look down from the windows of the Bu- 
centaur upon the sea, almost covered with gondolas and other 
vessels all around; the shores of the islands crowded with 
spectators, and especially all the v/indows and roofs, as well 
as the shore about St. Mark's Place, where the Doge and his 
company landed." 

The prisons are situated in a street on one side of the Ducal 
Palace ; the low roof being a mass of lead, the sufferings of 
the prisoners in hot weather must be extreme ; from the prison 
a bridge is made for the prisoners to pass over to the hall of 
trial. Other prisons in the Ducal Palace, are equally preju- 
dicial to health and comfort, on account of their humidity, 
their darkness, and the want of fresh air. Happily, the late 
senate moved the persons detained, from the old to the new 
prisons. The windows of these are alternately round and 
square. A range of columns before this building makes it 
look very unlike a prison. 

22* 



258 HOSriTALS custom-house THE MINT. 

One of the most ancient hospitals is that of St. Peter and 
St. Paul, for the purpose of receiving pilgrims and sick 
strangers of all nations. In one of the halls of the Military 
Hospital, occupied by officers only, is a ceiling of the cedar 
of Lebanon, very ingeniously carved and gilt. 

The Custom-House is a fine building, almost opposite the 
Place of St. Mark, from which it is separated by the Grand 
Canal. The building is crowned by a square tower, sur- 
mounted by a globe of gilt copper ; upon this globe, made to 
represent the whole world, a figure is placed representing 
Fortune, which turns about with every wind. 

Around the inner court of the Mint, are twenty-five forges 
for melting metal. Over an octangular well, in the centre of 
this court, is a statue of Apollo, holding in his hand some 
rods of gold, to indicate that gold is drawn from the bowels 
of the earth by the aid of the sun, which the ancients repre- 
sented under the figure of this god. 

St. Mark's Church is one of the richest in materials, and 
the worst in style in Italy. The whole of its uncouth front, 
lather Saracenic than Gothic, resembles a forest of columns 
of porphyry of different sizes and proportions. Its roof is a 
vast assemblage of domes, which seem in danger of crushing 
the whole ■edifice, and give it a much more striking resem- 
blance to a Turkish mosque than a Christian sanctuary. 
Over the portico, opposite the piazza, the four famous horses 
brought from Constantinople, long atoned for all the tawdry 
mosaics about them : these the Venetians made prizes of when 
they took and plundered that city in the year 1206. After- 
wards, having been taken by the French from the Venetians 
and carried to Paris, they were escorted by three thousand 
Austrian troops on their way back again to Venice, where 
they had stood nearly six hundred years. These brazen 
steeds were originally brought from Corinth by a Roman 
general, and graced Rome until the seat of the Empire was 
removed to the East. 

The interior of St. Mark's church offers innumerable 
objects of striking curiosity. The fount is a broad shallow 
basin of the hard green breccia ; the floor of the church is 
composed of small inlaid work, of an infinite diversity of pat- 
terns of porphyry, marbles, and other stones. In some parts 
animals and other figures are represented; but, probably 
from a variation in the marshy soil, this floor is extremely 
uneven, being swelled in some places and depressed in others, 
to the extent of ten or twelve inches. The walls, in different 
parts, are either cased with mosaic, devoid of taste, or with 



CEREMONY OF PROFESSION TAKIJNG THE VEIL. 259 

slabs of marble. In one piece of Carrara marble, on the left 
of the church, the veins obscurely represent the figure of a 
man. Behind the altar are some most precious columns of 
transparent alabaster. The domes are decorated with mosaics 
on a gold ground, very magnificent, but hard and stiff. 

As the ceremonies of profession and taking the veil are not 
so common as formerly in Italy, the following description, 
given by an eye-witness, of a scene which here took place, 
may not be uninteresting. After high mass was celebrated, 
with a very fine band of music hired for the occasion, the 
principal priest went to the grate, which was decked with 
flowers, and on the inner side of which were assembled the 
nuns of the convent, with the young victim, apparently about 
twenty years of age, with an agreeable countenance, rendered 
more interesting, perhaps, by her circumstances. She was 
superbly dressed, with a profusion of diamonds in her hair. 
After some singing, burning of incense, and other ceremonies, 
she was stripped of all her finery, clothed in a nun's dress, 
with a white veil, and crowned with a wreath of flowers. 
She then received the kiss of peace; and, after some more 
ceremonies at the grate, and a chorus from the band in the 
church, the business was concluded, and the new-made nun 
received the compliments of her acquaintances through the 
grate. She appeared very cheerful and talkative; but what 
sensible heart could fail to anticipate for her a long and me- 
lancholy reverse of spirits after all this tumult and pomp! 

The taking of the veil is the final irreversible scene which 
concludes the existence, in a manner, of the fair victim as a 
member of society. By it she becomes dead to the world. 
The monastery is her tomb ; and this awful ceremony, the 
celebration of her funeral. Every part of it is contrived to 
impress this idea. She is, after awhile, extended on the 
cold ground, wrapped in a large flowing robe of black, and 
folds a crucifix to her breast. Jn the meantime, the music 
and the service are suited to so solemn an exhibition. 

The Treasury of St. Mark's is said to contain a number of 
objects proper for administering food for faith, viz. : some re- 
mains of the columns of Solomon's Temple; some locks of 
hair belonging to the Virgin Mary; a small phial filled with 
her milk; the knife used by our Saviour at the last supper; 
and another vessel containing the blood of an image that was 
crucified by the Jews, in the year 675; a part of the true 
cross, and some nails used in the crucifixion ; one thorn out 
of the crown of thorns, &c., all of which are exposed to the 
view of the faithful on the grand festival days. Here is still 



260 PYRAMID OF MEN AND BOYS. 

to be seen the Gospel of St. Mark, said to be written by his 
own hand ; a missal containing miniatures of Clovis, a dis- 
ciple of Julius the Roman; diamonds, sapphires of all kinds; 
the crowns of Cyprus and Candia ; and the ducal bonnet, 
worn by the Doge at the time of his election. 

Venice contains many other fine churches ; but I have not 
room for details. 

It is only during the Carnival that the theatres are all 
open ; this begins on St. Stephen's day, and continues until 
Lent ; the houses are said to be full then every night. It is 
the custom to go masked here during the Carnival, and also 
at the festival of the Ascension. With a mask and a silk 
cloak, a person is sufficiently dressed for any assembly in 
Venice. During the Carnival, they have a sort of dramatic 
performance, most singular of its kind. The theatre in which 
it is carried on, continues open day and night, and a succes- 
sion of spectators and performers, who pour out a profusion 
of coarse jests and low humour, keep up a continual play or 
entertainment, being a sort of extempore pantomime, where 
Harlequin, Pantaloon, and Coviello (a sharper), play off all 
their tricks, to the infinite amusement of the spectators, who 
are generally of the lowest class. 

Among several shows exhibited at Venice, is a set of arti- 
sans, who, by the help of several poles, which they lay 
across one another's shoulders, build themselves up into a 
kind of pyramid; so that you see a pile of men in the air of 
four or five rows, rising one above another. The weight is 
so equally distributed, that every man is very well able to 
bear his part of it; the stories, if such they may be called, 
growing less and less as they advance higher and higher. A 
little boy represents the point of the pyramid, who, after a 
short space, leaps off with a great deal of dexterity into the 
arms of one that catches him at the bottom. In the same 
manner the whole building falls to pieces. 

The influence of government upon the manners was never 
more deeply impressed upon any people than the Venetians. 
s/ From the constant apprehension of accusation, they seem 
to live under perpetual restraint, never giving vent to any 
opinion except in pHvate. Business, but mostly trifles, are 
the usual topics of discourse in the coffee-houses. By the 
intervention of the French, this order of things is, in some 
measure, done away; but the spirit of it still remains. The 
Venetians are, nevertheless, of that sociable turn, that one 
or two interviews with a stranger will be sufficient to make 
him a party in some of their pleasures. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Departure from Venice — Verona — Amphitheatre — Modern Repairs — 
Lago di Garda — Milan — Streets — Cathedral — Royal Palace of Arts, 
&.C. — Ambrosian Library— Palaces — Depository of Public Records — 
Hospital — Lazaretto — Remarkable Echo — Amphitheatre — Villa of the 
Viceroy — Iron Crown — Lago Maggiore — Isola Bella — Domo d'Ossola 
— Bonaparte's Road across the Siniplon — Gallery of Gondo — Sublime 
Scenery — Summit — Marligny — Lake Geneva — Geneva — Feuds — 
Public Library — Roman Remains — Calvin's House — Calvin's Grave. 

I LEFT Venice in a large boat which was rowed by several 
men to the Continent. Here I took coach for Verona and 
Milan. The road was good, and passed through a pleasant 
and fruitful country. On the right, at some distance, were 
the Alps, which separate Italy from Germany ; or the Vicen- 
tine and Veronese hills ; on the left, a flat, rich, cultivated 
country, extending to the Appenines beyond Bologna. I 
passed a number of villages and towns on the route ; but felt 
no inclination to spend time in visiting any objects of curio- 
sity and interest which they might contain. 

Verona is pleasantly situated, and being in the neighbour- 
hood of mountains, it is constantly refreshed with a cool 
evening breeze. The river Adige divides the city almost 
equally; and the two sides are connected by four good stone 
bridges. The best street is, as usual, called the Cor so ; and 
the largest area is la Piazza cVArma, The number of in- 
habitants is about fifty thousand. The society is good, and 
they have a taste for literature. 

The great glory of Verona is its ancient amphitheatre; 
and is the best preserved of any in existence. It is supposed 
to have been erected by the republic and people of Verona 
in the time of Domitian, or at least in the first year of Tra- 
jan's reign. The whole of this amphitheatre is built of 
marble, without mortar or cement; all the seats, walls, &c., 
are of a reddish marble; the cornices and capitals of the 
pilasters of white marble; and all appear to have been po- 
lished. This building is of the Tuscan ordei. It is situated 
just without the walls of the city, and will contain as many 
people as formerly, that is, twenty-two thousand three hun- 



262 AMPHITHEATRE MOnETlN KETAIRS. 

dred, seated around the arena, allowing to each person one 
foot and six inches. The apertures on the inside are called 
vomitories^ where company entered to take their seats. The 
first, or lowest row of vomitories, was for the first order, the 
patricians; the second row for the knights, the eques'rian 
order; the third and uppermost row for the plebeians. In 
the highest part of this building was a gallery for twenty 
thousand of the common people standing, to see the combats 
of gladiators and criminals with wild beasts. Seventy-two 
arches, or entrances, made the circuit of this building ; of the 
outer wall, only four arches are now standing; over these 
arches are labels with numbers on them, by which each 
rank, or order of persons, knew the entrance to take leading 
to their seats. At each end of the arena, inside, over the 
two principal entrances, are two places called Tribunes, 
which were for the Emperor, and those of the senatorial 
order. The height of the outer wall is one hundred and ten 
feet, and has been forty or fifty feet higher; the longest 
diameter is four hundred and seventy-eight feet, the shortest 
diameter three hundred and seventy-five feet, and the cir- 
cumference one thousand three hundred and forty-four feet. 

The citizens of Verona, by the provisions which they have 
made for the support of the amphitheatre, and the great care 
taken in the necessary reparations made from time to time, 
in spite of so many changes, have preserved this superb 
remain of ancient skill and grandeur. They therefore let 
out those places which otherwise would be useless, and the 
money is appropriated, when necessary, to the support of this 
building. The French have cleared out all the rubbish with 
which the arena was filled up; as originally the arena for 
combats was fifteen feet below the first seat. In front of 
those seats of the patricians a wall went all around the arena, 
and on the wall a railing, to keep off the animals. Below 
were dens for wild beasts, prisons for criminals, and rooms 
for the gladiators. In this amphitheatre the people of Verona 
keep up plays during summer. 

The road hence to Milan bordered on the Lago di Garda 
for several miles. It is about thirty-five miles in length, and 
twelve in breadth. Though not the largest, it is by far the 
noblest lake in Italy. The borders of the lake are, in places, 
romantically magnificent, and, in others' again, present the 
softest and most beautiful views. The whole country in this 
direction, for at least twenty miles, is one continued garden. 

I arrived at Milan after a pleasant, though fatiguing jour- 
ney. Milan is the capital of the kingdom of Italy, and is a 



MILAN ST3JEETS CATHEDRAL. 263 

large and splendid city, eleven miles in circumference, and 
contains about one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. 
It stands in the middle of a vast plain, on a spot without any 
natural advantages, yet the fine canals from the Ticino and 
Adda make it the centre of a considerable trade. It is con- 
sidered the most elegant city in Italy, and was very much 
improved and beautified by Napoleon. Formerly, towards 
the citadel, were walls and forts, but these have been de- 
stroyed since the last occupation of Milan by the French. 
The citadel is also dismantled. 

The streets of Milan are not so splendid as those of Paris 
or London, but some of them are sufficiently long and broad 
to admit of promenades and cavalcades, and are called Corsi. 
In these streets, on the Sabbath, after mass until dinner time, 
the fashionables of both sexes ride and drive with their 
splendid equipages. Most of the streets are paved with 
small pieces of marble and granite, of all colours, which are 
found in the beds of the torrents and neighbouring streams, 
as also in the earth at a certain depth. On the sides, near 
the houses, is a way, paved with brick, for foot passengers; 
and in the centre of the streets are two curbs, or rows of 
stone, so contrived as to admit the wheels of the carriages 
that pass along; and in the large broad streets are several 
of these stone railways, so that no jostling or confusion takes 
place among the numerous carriages. 

The most celebrated church in Milan, and, after St. Peter's 
at Rome, the most celebrated in the world, is the Cathedral, 
(il Duomo,) situated in the centre of the city, near the Palace 
of the Viceroy. It was commenced in the year 1386, in the 
reign of John Galeas, in the Gothic style, and is entirely con- 
structed, together with its innumerable statues and ornaments, 
of the most beautiful white marble, brought from the environs 
of the Lago Maggiore. The whole cathedral, indeed, can be 
compared to nothing else but an immense mountain of white 
marble, fashioned, chiselled, and indented in the rock itself, 
as is sometimes displayed in the temples or pagodas of the 
East. It has a Grecian front. The outside is loaded with 
sculpture. The roof is exquisitely wrought, and supported 
by one hundred and sixty vast columns of white marble. 
The dome is in the middle of the cross, and immediately 
under it is an opening, surrounded with rails, to give light to 
the subterranean chapel, where reposes the body of S. Carlo 
Borromeo. The length of this church is nearly five hundred 
feet, breadth three hundred, height four hundred ; height of 
the pillars ninety-three feet. The whole of the exterior has 



264 CATHEDRAL ROYAL PALACE OF ARTS. 

the appearance of a forest of lofty spires and pinnacles. On 
the outside are two hundred statues, larger than life; and, 
including the figures in relievo^ the number is upwards of ten 
thousand ! 

The grand facade of the cathedral, which was still unfi- 
nished in the sixteenth century, and which in the seventeenth 
occupied the attention of the most celebrated artists, 'was but 
little advanced towards its completion in the year 1780. It 
was reserved for Bonaparte to attempt the completion of this 
grand work. When he had been proclaimed King of Italy, 
an immense number of labourers were employed in finishing 
the front of this cathedral, after the original designs, but the 
change which took place in political events, and the forget- 
fulness or indifference of the canons, the undisturbed enjoy- 
ment of whose fat benefices is of the greatest importance to 
them, will, perhaps, entirely prevent the accomplishment of 
this object. 

The interior of the church is paved with pieces of red, 
black, and white tnarble, in mosaic, representing flowers, fes- 
toons, foliage, &c., so that when it is viewed from the cupola 
it appears like a beautiful carpet. The pavement of the choir 
is said to have cost more than five thousand scudi. A rich 
subterranean chapel encloses, in a case of crystal lined with 
silver, the body of St. Charles of Borromeo, made a cardinal 
and archbishop in his twenty-third year, by his uncle Pius 
IV. Fie was as celebrated for his princely fortune as his 
liberal distribution of it. He resigned, or devoted to charita- 
ble purposes, three fourths of his ecclesiastical, and all his 
own large property. In the great famine of 1570 he main- 
tained three thousand poor for several months. Six years 
afterwards, during the great plague, he was indefatigable in 
saving the lives of his countrymen. Upon the whole, no 
less than seventy thousand persons owed their lives to him. 

A walk in the church about dusk, excites a pleasing 
solemnity of thought. The declining light through the noble 
painted windows, the vaulted roofs rising almost out of sight, 
the labyrinth of taper columns, the scattered lamps glimmer- 
ing from subterranean chapels, all conspire to produce this 
effect. 

It is said that the city contains upwards of two hundred 
churches, some of them very splendid. 

The Royal Palace of Arts and Sciences contains all the 
establishments which its name imports. Here is an astrono- 
mical observatory, the first in Italy, and one of the best in 
Europe. The library is rich in rare editions and in MSS., 



AMBROSIAN LIBRARY — PALACES AMPHITHEATRE. 265 

and the botanical garden is well supplied with exotic plants. 
Here is a collection of medals amounting to twelve thousand. 
Engraving, painting, sculpture, the elements of drawing, ar- 
chitecture, perspective, &c., have each their several profes- 
sors and halls, ornamented with excellent specimens. The 
new saloons of the gallery contains some choice pictures, 
collected by the government, and some specimens of the fine 
arts, for which premiums have been given at the annual meet- 
ing of the Academy; or at the assemblies of the different pro- 
fessors throughout the kingdom. The Ambrosian Library 
contains seventy-two thousand volumes, and forty thousand 
valuable manuscripts. 

The Royal Palace has some very fine rooms ornamented 
with the richest tapestry, and some good pictures. The 
Palace of the Senate, once the Helvetic College, has two 
large and fine courts, with magnificent peristyles. The De- 
pository of Public Records is worth a visit. Here sixteen 
million acts are regularly disposed, which furnish employ- 
ment to as many thousand lawyers. The Grand Hos- 
pital is a fine building. Ir has a court more than three hun- 
dred feet square, surrounded with a double portico supported 
by marble columns. It contains accommodations for upwards 
of twelve hundred persons. The Lazaretto is a vast quad- 
rangle, one thousand two hundred and fifty feet in length, and 
one thousand two hundred in breadth, composed of two hun- 
dred and ninety-six chambers, surrounded with a portico, and 
guarded by a broad and deep fosse. 

The environs of Milan are interesting. At the Palace Si- 
monetta, a {ew miles out of town, is a remarkable echo, which 
repeats the last two syllables of a word twenty-nine times, 
the report of a pistol thirty-six times, and of a gun without 
number. 

Near the city is a large amphitheatre appropriated for large 
assemblies of the people, or grand public fetes. The approach 
is through a young plantation of maple, ash and elm trees; it 
is furnished wiih some stone seats, but the greater part are of 
turf, disposed in the form of an amphitheatre, and capable of 
accommodating forty-five thousand spectators. The external 
walls are lofty and furnished with small entrances, resembling 
the ancient vomitories. At the higher range of seats is a 
narrow terrace shaded with trees. In the space of twenty- 
four hours, the whole of the arena can be covered with water, 
brought from a neighbouring stream, on which a naumachia 
is held, a species of amusement which Bonaparte witnessed 
with great delight, when crowned King of Italy at Milan. 

23 



266 VILLA OF TUV. VICEROY TEON CROWN. 

A splendid villa near the ranaparts, to the north, is the sum- 
mer residence of the Viceroy. Annong other interesting ob- 
jects in the saloon is the Magdalen of Canova. Every part of 
this marble is life itself. She is in a couching posture, her 
hair floating over her shoulders, and a tear is just dropping 
from her eyelid : it is contrition personified. Among other 
curiosities are three panharmonicons, the automaton chess- 
player, and a most ingenious sort of steel-trap secretaire, 
which is so contrived as instantly to seize, rather rudely, the 
hand of any one who should venture to take any money or 
other article accidentally left upon it. 

About eight miles north of Milan, is the town of Monza, 
where Charlemagne was crowned King of Italy. The Cath- 
edral is a good edifice, has a handsome facade, and a curious 
clock. Its treasury was formerly very rich, and it still boasts 
the celebrated iron crown used by the ancient Lombard Kings, 
and by Napoleon Bonaparte when crowned King of Italy. 
This crown is composed chiefly of precious stones, but is 
called iron, on account of a small ring in it of that metal, said 
to be made from some of the nails which fastened our Saviour 
to the cross ! 

I left Milan for Lago Maggiore. The road lay over a fiat 
country, through the great plain of Lombardy, between ave- 
nues of cabbage-headed mulberry trees, hedges of acacia, and 
rows'of vines trained between fruit trees, so as completely to 
hide all view on either side. We passed through many vil- 
lages, the names of which I observed generally placed on the 
wall at the entrance. The village of Soma was on the route, 
containing an ancient castle, fringed with swallow-tailed bat- 
tlements ; and a remarkable cypress tree of great age, one of 
the largest known. It is stated to have been a trde in the 
days of Julius Csesar ; it is one hundred and twenty-one feet 
high, and twenty-three feet in girth. Napoleon respected it 
at the lime of the construction of the route of the Simplon, 
causing the road to diverge from the straight line on account 
of it. Near this place was fought the first great battle be- 
tween Scipio and Hannibal, commonly called the battle of 
Ticinus, in which Scipio was worsted. 

We passed on to Sesto-Colende, and here 1 embarked on 
board a small steamer which runs on the lake. The view 
which I here enjoyed of the peaked snowy ridge of Monte 
Rosa, from the lower part of the lake, was magnificent in the 
extreme. I passed the celebrated island which belongs to the 
Count Borroneo, called Isola Bella. An ancestor of the family 
in 1671, converted this mass of bare and barren slate rock, 



bojvaparte'8 road across the simplon. 267 

which lifted itself a kw feet above the surface of the lake, 
into a beautiful garden, teeming with the vegetation of the 
tropics. It consists of ten terraces, the lowest founded on 
piers thrown into the lake, rising in a pyramidal form one 
above another, and lined with statues, vases, obelisks, and 
black cypresses. Upon these, as upon the hanging gardens 
of Babylon, flourish, in the open air, not merely the orange, 
citron, myrtle, and pomegranate, but aloes, cactuses, the 
camphor-tree, sugar cane, and coffee plant, (all inhabitants of 
tropical countries,) and this within a day's journey of the 
Lapland climate of the Simplon, and within view of the Al- 
pine snows. 

Other islands were passed, some of which are most beau- 
tiful from nature, without the labours of art. The length of 
the lake is about fifty-two miles, and its breadth about nine 
miles. I landed at Palanza, in Sardinia, where my baggage 
underwent a strict examination by the custom-house officers. 
Here I hired a small one-horse carriage to carry me to Domo 
d'Ossola, situated in the midst of lofty mountains. It is a 
small and unimportant place, with few objects of interest, 
save that it is Italian in every stone. Houses with colonnades, 
streets with awnings, shops teeming with sausages, macca- 
roni, and garlic ; lazy-looking, loitering lazzaroni, in red 
night-caps, and bare, mahogany-coloured legs, intermixed 
with mules, burly priests, and females veiled with the man- 
tilla, fill up the picture of an Italian town. 

Here I took the public conveyance, and commenced as- 
cending the Alps by way of the Simplon. The construction 
of a route over the Simplon was decided upon by Napoleon 
immediately after the battle of Marengo, while the recollec- 
tion of his own difficult passage of the Alps by the Great St. 
Bernard (at that time one of the easiest Alpine passes) was 
fresh in his memory. The plans and surveys, by which the 
direction of the road was determined, was made by M. Ceard, 
and a large portion of the works was executed under the 
superintendence of that able engineer. It was commenced 
on the Italian side in 1800, and on the Swiss in 180L It 
took six years in the completion of this road, though it was 
barely passable in 1805, and more than thirty thousand men 
were employed on it at one time. To give an idea of the 
colossal nature of the undertaking, it may be mentioned, that 
the number of bridges, great and small, constructed for the 
passage of the road between Sesto and Brieg, amounts to six 
hundred and eleven, in addition to the far more vast and 
costly constructions, such as terraces of massive masonry 



268 GALLERY OF GONDO SUBLIME SCENERT SUMMIT. 

miles in length, of ten galleries, either cut out of the living 
rock or built of solid stone, and of twenty houses of refuge 
to shelter travellers, and lodge the labourers constantly em- 
ployed in taking care of the road. Its breadth is throughout 
at least twenty-five feet, and in some places thirty feet, and 
the average slope no where exceeds six inches in six feet and 
a half. It is really a gigantic work, and its magnitude cannot 
be conceived without actual inspeclion. 

The Gallery of Gondo is the longest cut through solid rock 
in the whole line of the Simplon, as it measures five hundred 
and ninety-six feel. It was also the most difficult and costly 
to make, on account of the extreme hardness of the granite 
rock. It required the incessant labour of more than one 
hundred workmen, in gangs of eight, relieving each other 
day and night, to pierce a passage in eighteen months. 
Close to the very mouth of this remarkable gallery is a roar- 
ing water-fall, leaping down from the rocks, close to the road, 
which is carried over it on a beautiful bridge. The scenery 
here offers, perhaps, the finest assemblage of objects to excite 
an emotion of the sublime that is to be found in the Alps. 
The rocks rise on both sides as straight as walls, attaining 
the summit of wild sublimity. The little strip of sky above, 
the torrent ^roaring in the dark gulf below, the while foam of 
the waterfall, the graceful arch, and the black mouth of the 
cavern, form a picture which baffles description. 

A simple cross of wood marks the highest summit or cul- 
minating point of the road, about six thousand five hundred 
and sixty-two feet above the level of the sea. About half a 
mile from this stands the New Hospice, founded by Napoleon, 
for the reception of travellers. It is occupied by three or four 
of the Augustine order, members of the same community as 
those on the Great St. Bernard. The portion of the road be- 
tween the summit and what is called the Fifth Refuge is the 
most dangerous of all, at the season when avalanches fall, 
and tourmentes arise, on which account it is provided with 
six places of shelter, viz. : three galleries, two refuges, and 
a hospice, wilhin a distance of not more than three thousand 
metres. The head of the gorge is filled up with glaciers, be- 
neath which, along the edge of a yawning abyss, the road is 
necessarily conducted. These fields of everlasting ice, in 
the heat of summer, feed five or six furious torrents, the 
sources of the Saltine, and in winter discharge frequent ava- 
lanches into the gulf below. To protect this portion of the 
road, three galleries, called, from their vicinity to the glaciers, 
Glacier Galleries, partly excavated, partly built of masonry 



MARTIGNV: LAKE GENEVA GENEVA. 269 

strongly arched, have been constructed. By an ingenious 
contrivance of the engineer they serve, in places, as bridges 
and aqueducts at the sanrje tinrie, the torrents being conducted 
over and beneath them ; and the traveller is surprised to find 
the carriage suddenly driven, in perfect safety, underneath 
a considerable water-fall. In the spring the avalanches slide 
over their roofs. But it is impossible to describe this majestic 
work. 

1 arrived at Martigny, in Switzerland. Here the monks 
of St. Bernard have their head-quarters in a convent within 
the town, from which the members stationed on the Great St. 
Bernard are relieved at intervals. From this place I pro- 
ceeded to Lausanne, on the borders of Lake Geneva, where 
I embarked in a steamer for the city of Geneva. 

The Lake of Geneva, called by the Romans Lacus Le- 
manus, has nearly the shape of a half moon, its horns being 
turned towards the south. It is the largest lake in Switzer- 
land, being fifty-five miles long, and about six wide. It is 
nine hundred feet at its greatest depth. Its waters often vary 
in one year more than four feet, being usually lowest in the 
winter, between January and April, and highest in August 
and part of July and September, owing to the supplies then 
derived from the melting snows and glaciers. Besides these 
periodical variations, the lake is subject to other more arbi- 
trary changes of level, called seiches. This phenomenon 
consists of a sudden rise and fall of the water in particular 
parts of the lake, independently of the agency of the wind or 
of any other apparent cause. It is most common in the vici- 
nity of Geneva. During these oscillations, the waters some- 
times rise five feet, though the usual increase is not more 
than two feet. It never lasts longer than twenty-five minutes, 
but is generally less. The cause of these seiches has not 
been explained with certainty, but they are believed to de- 
pend upon the unequal pressure of the atmosphere upon dif- 
ferent parts of the surface of the lake ; and they are observed 
to occur most commonly when the clouds are heavy and low. 
The water of this lake is remarkably transparent, and the 
scenery along its shores is truly beautiful. 

Geneva, as approached from the lake, presents a very im- 
posing appearance. It is surrounded with ramparts and 
bastions, erected in the middle of the last century by the aris- 
tocratic magistracy of that period. Though the capital of the 
smallest of the Swiss cantons, except Zug, it is the most popu- 
lous town in the Confederation, since it contains thirty thou- 
sand inhabitants. It is well situated, at the western extremity 

23* 



270 GENEVA FEUDS PUBLIC LIBRARY. 

of the lake, at the point where the blue waters of the Rhone 
issue out of it. The river divides the town into two parts, 
and the intensely blue colour of its waters is certainly very 
remarkable, and resembles nothing so much as the discharge 
of indigo from a dyer's vat. The cause of this has not been 
satisfactorily explained. Sir Flumphrey Davy attributed it to 
the presence of iodine. The extreme purity lasts but a short 
distance, since, a mile below the town, it is polluted by the 
admixture of the waters of the turbid Arve, and retains the 
same dingy hue all the way to the sea. 

Geneva is divided into the upper and lower town ; and this 
distinction, arising from the uneven nature of the ground, is 
perpetuated in the rank and condition of the inhabitants of 
the two divisions. The upper town consists almost entirely 
of the large and handsome hotels of the burgher aristocracy, 
heretofore the senators and magistrates of the republic. The 
lower town is the seat of trade and of democracy ; its streets 
are narrow, its houses lofty, and it has something of the air 
of the old town of Edinburgh. The feuds arising between 
the high and low town were not few, nor void of interest ; 
they often led to bloodshed, but the democrats below gene- 
rally brought their exalted neighbours to reason by the simple 
expedient of cutting off the water pipes, taking especial care 
to guard the hydraulic machine, which furnishes the supply 
to the upper town, and which is situated in their quarter. 

Although Geneva is a great focus of attraction for travellers 
of all nations, thirty thousand being the number which is cal- 
culated to pass through the town annually, it possesses few 
objects of interest to the passing stranger. As a town it is 
not very prepossessing; it has no fine public buildings, and 
scarcely any sights. It is owing to its beautiful environs, to 
its vicinity to Chamouni, to the charming scenery of its lake, 
and to its position on the high-road from Paris to Italy, that 
it has become a place of so much resort. 

The Public Library attached to the College, a scholastic- 
looking building, of no architectural pretensions, behind the 
Cathedral, was founded by Calvin, and contains forty thousand 
volumes, besides the following curiosities: three folio volumes 
of autograph letters of Calvin ; (one addressed to Lady 
Jane Grey, while a prisoner in the Tower ;) many of Cal- 
vin's manuscript sermons ; several volumes of letters of 
Theodore Beza ; the manuscript of the " Noble Lecon," a 
work of the ancient Waldenses ; the account book of the 
household of Philip le Bel, written with a style upon waxed 
tablets, but now almost effaced j a translation of Quintus Cur- 



E03IAN REMAINS — -CALVIn's HOUSE. 271 

tius, taken along with the baggage of Charles the Bold at 
Morat ; the discourses of St. Augustine, a MS. on papyrus 
of the seventh century. 

On the island, in the middle of the Rhone, not far from the 
hydraulic machine, traces may be discovered of a Roman 
structure, supposed to be the foundations of one of the towers 
erected by Julius Cassar to prevent the Flelvetians from cross- 
ing the river. The earliest mention of Geneva occurs in his 
Commentaries, where it is described as " the last fortress of 
the Allobroges, and nearest to the Flelvetian frontier." 

John Calvin is supposed to have lived in the house now oc- 
cupied by the Evangelical Society, No. 116, in the Rue des 
Chanoines, and there the Reformer probably died. It was in 
the year 1536, that he passed through the town, a fugitive, 
on his way from Italy to Basle. Two years had not elapsed 
since the Genevese had abolished Roman Catholicism, ex- 
pelled their bishop, and adopted ihe doctrines and principles 
of the Reformation. Farel, who was the means of introducing 
them, was then preaching at Geneva, and. aware of Calvin's 
talents and powerful eloquence, entreated him to remain. 
Calvin obeyed the call, and, in a short space, the itinerant 
preacher and foreigner was raised to be the Dictator of the 
Republic, ruling its turbulent democracy with a sway more 
mild than that of the dukes of Savoy and bishops of Geneva, 
under which the citizens had groaned for ages, and from 
which the Reformation had at length released them. From 
the pulpit of St. Peter's Church, which became at once the 
tribune and judgment-seat of the Reformer, he denounced the 
prevailing immorality of the town with such eloquence and 
force, that profligacy was obliged to hide its head. 

Geneva thus become the metropolis of Calvinism, and " the 
Rome of Protestantism," was the resort of many foreigners, 
who here sought refuge from religious persecutions in their 
own country. 

Calvin died in 1564, at the age of fifty-five, after twenty- 
three years of uninterrupted power; he was buried in the old 
cemetery of the Plain Palais, now abandoned. He forbade 
the Genevese to mark the spot where his remains were laid 
with a monument, and the very site of his grave is not known 
with certainty. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Excursion to Mont Blanc — St. Martin — Sublime View — Baths of St. 
Gervais — Lac du Chede — Mont Buet — View from Montels — First Gla- 
cier — Glacier du Bois — Chamouny — Disgraceful Practice — Bustle 
and Excitement — Guides — Jacques Balmat — Crues — Avalanches — 
Tremendous Catastrophes — Caution of Muleteers — Snow Storms — 
Pavilion — Red Snow — Mer de Glace — Sublime Scenery — Walk on 
the Glacier — Formation of Glaciers — Changes — Perilous Exploration 
— Source of the Arve — Fissures and Chasms — Economy of .Nature — 
Diseases — Goitre — Cretinism. 

I SET out from Geneva in a light char with a pair of horses, 
in company with a French gentleman and his lady, on an 
excursion to Mont Blanc. When we arrived at the Sardinian 
frontier our passports were examined; but having left all our 
luggage at Geneva, we were permitted to pass without much 
ceremony.^ Our course lay along the Arve river, and through 
an interesting country. After leaving the town of Cluses, 
about eight leagues from Geneva, the road is carried through 
the defile on the borders of the river, and beneath precipices 
that mark the first grand entrance into an Alpine ravine. 
The valley is very narrow nearly all the way to Maglan, 
and, in some places, the road is straitened in between the 
river and the bases of precipices, which actually overhang 
the traveller. From some of these, a little out of the road, 
the steep talus of rocks and stones which have fallen from 
above, spread out to the river, and the road rises over the 
ridges. The banks of the river are well-wooded, and the 
scenery is as beautiful as it is wild. Before reaching St, 
Martin, the valley increases in width, and rich fields spread 
up the base of the Douron from Sallenches; the peaks of the 
Varens, which rise nearly eight thousand feet above the level 
of the sea, and immediately over the village of St. Martin, 
now open to the view, and shortly afterwards we entered the 
bustling inn-yard of the Hotel du Mont Blanc. Here we met 
numerous travellers going to or from Chamouny ; the latter 
imparting their impressions of the wonders of Mont Blanc, 
and their adventurous scrambles in the presence of the " Mon- 
arch," to the listening expectants of such enjoyment : all was 
excitement 



SUBLIME VIEW— HATIiS OF ST. t^EllVAIS. 273 

In the morning we hired another carriage to take us to 
Chamouny. Within a hundred yards after we left the inn, 
we crossed the Arve on a bridge. On this bridge one of the 
noblest views is presented of Mont Blanc, towering like an 
immense sugar-loaf cone, in the grandest sublimity, appa- 
rently to the very heavens. The actual distance to the peak, 
in a direct line, is more than twelve miles ; yet so sharp, and 
bright, and clear in every part of its stupendous mass, that 
the eye, unused to such magnitude with distinctness, is utterly 
deceived, and would rather lead to the belief, thai it was not 
one-third of the distance. So distinct did every object appear, 
that I thought I could see the very prints of shoes in the 
snow-topped summit. On looking up the valley over the 
broad winter bed of the Arve, however, objects seemed to re- 
cede, and give the accustomed impressions of distance ; above 
this rises the mountain of the Forclaz, its sides clothed with 
pines, and its summit with pasturage. Over these, are seen 
the Aiguille de Goute, ihp Dome de Goute, and the head of 
the loftiest mountain in Europe, propped by ridges of aiguilles, 
and the intervals of these filled with glaciers. This one view 
is so impressive as to be generally acknowledged a sufficient 
reward for the longest journey. 

We passed Sallenches, a little town, containing about fif- 
teen hundred inhabitants. From this to the Baths of St. Ger- 
vais, it is a little out of the usual route to Chamouny ; but a 
most pleasant deviation. It is a little fairy spot, in a beauti- 
ful valley, where excellent accommodations may be had ; hot 
mineral baths for the sick, and delightful walks around this 
little paradise for the convalescent. At the back of the house, 
a little way up the glen, is a fine cataract ; and one of the 
pleasures of this place is its solitude, amidst scenes so beau- 
tiful and wild, that it would be difficult to find it without a 
guide. 

After leaving St. Gervais, and attaining a considerable 
height above the plain of the Arve at St. Martin's, the road 
passes what was once a little lake, the Lac du Chede ; from 
which, as from a mirror, a fine view of the summit of Mont 
Blanc, towering over the lower range of mountains, was re- 
flected ; but a deposite of black mud and stones, has filled it, 
and the lake is no more. The road, still rising above the 
spot where the lake was, turns into a deep curve to cross the 
bed of a wild torrent. This usually furnishes the first Alpine 
adventure to the traveller, for the road can seldom be kept in 
good condition for a week; every fall of rain alters it, and 
varies the apparent peril to those who follow. From this 



274 MOUNT BUET VIEW FilOM MONTETS FIRST GLACIEE. 

wild spot the road passes through what is called a forest, and 
soon reaches the village of Servoz. 

From Servoz the excursion is most interesting to the Buet, 
one of the sight-seeing summits near Mont Blanc, and offer- 
ing a fine view of the "Monarch;" and, from its elevation, 
nearly ten thousand five hundred feet above the level of the 
sea, a vast extent of horizon is presented, bounded on the 
east by the mountains of St. Go! hard, and on the west by 
ranges which extend and subside into Dauphiny ; the lakes 
of Geneva and of Annecy are partly seen, and the whole line 
of the Jura mountains bounds that part of the horizon. The 
Buet, however, is a dangerous mountain to visit without a 
good guide: the fate of a young Danish traveller, M. Eschen, 
is still remembered ; he perished in August, 1800, from his 
disregarding the advice of his guide. 

Descending again and advancing towards Chamouny, the 
road passes a ridge, the Montets, which separates the valley 
of Chamouny from the Vale of Servoz. From several spots, 
especially near the crest, the peep down into the inaccessible 
ravine through which the Arve passes, is a depth at which 
the mind shudders. From the Montets, the enormous mass 
of Mont Blanc, now in close proximity, is magnificent ; and 
it is impossible to describe the emotions it excites : but the 
summit can no longer be seen ; it is concealed by the vast 
Dome de Goute. 

The descent from the Montets lies through some fine mea- 
dows to Ouches, the first village in the valley. Soon the 
white lines of glaciers are seen to extend themselves into the 
valley. The first is that of Taconey, which is two miles up 
the valley above Ouches : it is, however, so mere a line com- 
pared with the vastness of other objects around, that I felt 
disappointed in its apparent size. We passed numerous tor- 
rents which descend furiously from the glaciers of Mont 
Blanc, and cut deep channels, which are difficult to cross, or 
to keep in repair the passages over them; they are disrupted 
by every storm. About half a league beyond the stream 
from the glacier of Taconey, is the hamlet of Bassons, and 
near it, the glacier of that name, which reaches further out 
into the valley than any other ; but this too, like that of Ta- 
coney, disappoints, unless visited, when it will be found, that 
from its height, the " Moraine" (viz. the rocks and stones 
that are thrust forward by the ice, and form a huge embank- 
ment to the glacier,) is difficult and fatiguing to climb, and 
the white and apparently unimportant mass of ice, of which 
the lower extremity of the glacier is composed, is really 



GLACIER DU EOIS DISGRACEFUL PRACTICE. 275 

formed by enormous masses split into a thousand fantastic 
forms; some are fine pinnacles sixty or eighty feet high, 
others immense blocks broken or melted into fantastic forms, 
and so impending, that they exciie a shudder ; but the colour, 
the deep and beautiful blue colour, of the ice in its depths, 
offers effects of which no description can convey an idea. 
A little above the glacier of the Bossons the Arve is crossed, 
and the road continues on its right bank. At the head of 
the valley is seen the Glacier du Bois, the largest in the 
valley, the terminus in fact, of the Mer de Glace. This lies, 
however, a league beyond the village of Chamouny. 

We arrived at Chamouny, after a journey of about sixty 
miles from Geneva, and put up at the Hotel de Londres et 
d'Angleterre. At Chamouny and elsewhere, the travellers' 
books at the inns are great sources of amusement ; often con- 
taining, in the remarks of preceding travellers, useful infor- 
mation. A most disgraceful practice has too often prevailed, 
of removing leaves for the sake of autographs; it is difficult 
to imagine any act more unworthy of gentlemen ; for this 
selfish gratification they destroy what would be a pleasure to 
hundreds. 

The village of Chamouny, or Le Prieure, as it is some- 
times called, from a Benedictine Convent established here 
about the end of the eleventh century, was known earlier 
than is generally supposed. The origin of the name Cha- 
mouny is " Campus Munitus," Champ Muni, or fortified field, 
from, perhaps, its mountain boundaries. 

It is impossible to imagine the bustle and excitement of a 
visit to Chamouny. The arrival and departure of travellers, 
the presence of the guides and their tales of adventures, the 
plans for to-day or to-morrow, the weather, not here the 
common-place substitute for having nothing else to say, but 
the most important source of enjoyment or disappointment to 
the traveller. On looking out in the evening upon Mont 
Blanc, from the windows or the yard of the Hotel de Londres, 
with a plan for to morrow, with what anxiety all indications 
of a change are watched ! how every body is consulted 1 
Groups of ramblers arrive from Geneva, from the Valais, 
from Piedmont, or from visits to the surrounding points of 
view; success is envied, failure pitied. The excitement, of 
such great interest in these retired wilds, amidst the most 
sublime scenery in nature, and at the foot of the loftiest moun- 
tain of Europe, where thousands have made their pilgrimage, 
is strong and unceasing. Unlike other places, merely fash- 
ionable and crowded by idlers, no extent of participation can 



276 GUIDES — JACaUES BALM AT CRUES. 

lessen the sublime emotions and impressions made by the 
scenery of the vale ofChamouny. More than three thousand 
strangers have visited this place in one season. 

The guides, mules, and all affairs that can he regulated by 
the state, to guard against disputes, are here in the hands of 
a syndic, who, as guide en chef^ receives his salary from the 
government, has a code of laws, and tariff of charges, which 
all must obey. All disputes are referred to him ; to him ap- 
plication must be made for guides, who, each in turn, must 
attend the traveller who needs his services. A particular 
guide cannot be chosen. This regulation is since 1821, 
when forty men were enrolled, selected for their intelligence, 
and the excellence of their certificates, which had been given 
to them by their employers when satisfied with their conduct. 
If, however, a particular guide out of turn be taken, three 
Imncs extra must be paid for each course. 

Jacques Balmat, the most daring, skilful, and experienced 
of the guides, who made the first ascent of Mont Blanc, and 
was seventy years old, disappeared in 1835. He went out 
with a hunter to chase the chamois, parted from him near the 
Pic de Medi, having proposed an ascent which the other 
thought too dangerous. The spot from which he fell, over 
the precipices of the Mortine, is known, but to recover the 
body was considered impossible. 

We engaged guides and mules lo conduct us to the Mon- 
tanvert. To reach this we crossed the Arve and the opposite 
meadows, by a path which leads across the valley to the foot 
of the iVIontanvert, where the path rises above the valley 
through the forest of pines which skirts the base of the moun- 
tain, in some places very steep, and to ladies, or unpractised 
travellers, mounted on mules, apparently dangerous; but as 
the guide is generally in attendance in all places of difficulty, 
confidence is soon possessed. 

After a scramble among rocks and the roots of pines and 
larches, occasional openings among the trees afforded peeps 
into the valley, and marked the great height so rapidly at- 
tained. VVe sometimes crossed crues, the channels of ava- 
lanches in the winter, which sweep down every thing in their 
course. Here our guides performed the mystery of desiring 
silence, lest a whisper should disturb the slumbering snows 
above, and bring down destruction by displacing a rock. 
The step from the sublime to the ridiculous was here reduced 
to the smallest possible interval. 

Avalanches are those accumulations of snow which preci- 
pitate themselves from the mountains, either by their own 



AVALANCHES. 277 

weight, or by the loosening effects of the sun's heat, into the 
valleys below, sweeping every thing before them, and causing, 
at times, great destruction of life and property. The fearful 
crash which accompanies their descent is often heard at a 
distance of several leagues. 

The natives of the Alps distinguish between several kinds 
of avalanches. The dust avalanches are formed of loose, 
fresh-fallen snow, heaped up by the wind early in the winter, 
before it has begun to melt or combine together. Such a 
mass, when it reaches the edge of a cliff or declivity, tumbles 
from point to point, increasing in quantity as well as in im- 
petus every instant, and spreading itself over a wide extent 
of surface. It descends with the rapidity of lightning, and 
has been known to rush down a distance of ten miles from 
the point whence it was first detached, not only descending 
one side of a valley, but also ascending the opposite hill, by 
the velocity acquired in its fall, overwhelming and laying 
prostrate a whole forest of firs in its descent, and breaking 
down another forest, up the opposite side, so as to lay the 
heads of the trees up the hill in its ascent. 

Danger arises from avalanches, either from their fallinsj 
unexpectedly, while persons are traversing spots known to be 
exposed to them, or else (and this is the more fearful cause 
of catastrophes) from an unusual accumulation of snow 
formed by the wind, or in consequence of the severity of 
the season, causing the avalanche to desert its usual bed, 
and to descend upon cultivated spots, houses, or even vil- 
lages. Certain valleys among the Alps have scarcely a 
spot totally exempt from the possible occurrence of such a 
calamity, though some are naturally more exposed than 
others. To guard as much as possible against accidents, 
very large and massive dykes of masonry, like the project- 
ing bastions of a fortification, are, in such situations, built 
against the hill-side, behind churches, houses, and other 
buildings, with an angle pointing upwards, in order to break 
and turn aside the snow. In some valleys great care is be- 
stowed on the preservation of the forests clothing their sides, 
as the best protection of the district below them from such 
calamities. These may truly be regarded as sacred groves, 
and no one is allowed to cut down timber within them, under 
pain of a legal penalty. Yet they not unfrequently show the 
inefficiency even of such protection against so fearful an en- 
gine of destruction. Whole forests are at times cut over and 
laid prostrate by the avalanche. The tallest stems, fit to 
make masts for a first rate man-of-war, are snapped asunder 

24 



278 TREMENDOUS CATASTROPHES. 

like a bit of wax, and ihe barkless and branchless stumps 
and relics of the forest remain for years like a stubble field, 
to tell of what has happened. 

One of the most remarkable phenomena attending the ava- 
lanche is the blast of air which accompanies it, and which, 
like what is called the wind of a cannon ball, extends its de- 
structive influence to a considerable distance on each side of 
the actual line taken by the fallen mass. It has all the effect 
of a blast of gunpowder. Sometimes forest trees, growing 
near the sides of the channel down which the snow passes, 
are uprooted and laid prostrate, without having been touched 
by it. 

In 1720, in Ober-Gestelen, an avalanche killed eighty-four 
men and four hundred head of cattle, and destroyed one hun- 
dred and twenty houses. The same year, forty individuals 
perished at Brieg, and twenty-three on the Great St. Bernard 
from a similar cause. In 1749, the village of Ruaeras was 
carried away by an avalanche; one hundred men were over- 
whelmed by it, sixty of whom were dug out alive; and some 
of the houses, though removed to some distance from their 
original site, were so little shaken that persons sleeping 
within them were not awakened. In 1800, after a snow- 
storm of three days' continuance, an enormous avalanche 
detached itself from the top of the precipice of Kucas above 
Trons, in the valley of the Vorder Rhein ; it crossed the val- 
ley and destroyed a wood, and some chalets on the opposite 
pasture of Zenin ; recoiling, with the force it had acquired, 
to the side from which it had come, it did fresh mischief there, 
and so revolving to and fro, at the fourth rush reached Trons, 
and buried many of its houses to the roofs in snow. In 1827, 
the greater part of the village of Biel, in the Upper Vallais, 
was crushed beneath a tremendous avalanche, which ran 
down a ravine, nearly two leagues long, before it reached the 
village. The village of Randa, in the Visp-Thal, lost many 
of its houses by the current of an avalanche which fell in 
1720, blowing them to atoms, and scattering the materials 
like chaff, although the avalanche itself did not touch the 
buildings. The eastern spire of the convent of Dissenfis was 
thrown down by the gust of an avalanche, which fell at a 
distance of more than a quarter of a mile from the building. 

Muleteers, carriers, and such persons aa are accustomed to 
travel in these mountains, especially in the spring, and before 
the annual avalanches have fallen, use great caution in tra- 
versing exposed parts of the road, and with these they are 
well acquainted. They proceed in parties, in single file, at a 



PAVILION — BED SNOW. 279 

little distance from one another, in order that if the snoW 
should sweep one off, the others may be ready to render as- 
sistance. They proceed as fast as possible, carefully avoiding 
every noise, even speaking, and, it is said, will sometimes 
muffle the bells of their mules, lest the slightest vibration com- 
municated to the air, should disengage the nicely-poised mass 
of snow above their heads. 

The snow-storms, tourmentes, or guxen, which occur on 
the Alps, are much dreaded by the chamois hunter, the shep- 
herd, and those most accustomed to traverse the High Alps; 
how much more formidable must they be to the inexperienced 
traveller? They consist of furious and tempestous winds, 
somewhat of the nature of a whirlwind, which occur on the 
summit ridges and elevated gorges of the Alps, either accom- 
panied by snow, or filling the air with that recently fallen, 
while the flakes are still dry, tossing them about like powder 
or dust. In an instant the atmosphere is filled with snow ; 
earth, sky, mountain, abyss, and landmark of every kind are 
obliterated from view, as though a curtain were let down on 
all sides of the wanderer. All trace of path, or of the foot- 
steps of preceding travellers, are at once efi'aced, and the 
black poles planted to mark the direction of the road are fre- 
quently overturned. In some places the gusts sweep the rocks 
bare of snow, heaping it up in others, perhaps across the path, 
to a height of twenty feet or more, barring all passage, and 
driving the wayfarer to despair. At every step he fears to 
plunge into an abyss, or sink overhead in the snow. Large 
parties of men and animals have been overwhelmed fby the 
snow-wreaths on the St. Gothard, where they sometimes at- 
tain the height of forty or fifty feet. These tempests are ac- 
companied almost every year by loss of life; and, though of 
less frequent occurrence in summer than in winter and spring, 
yet it is dangerous in the extreme for inexperienced travellers 
to attempt to cross remote and elevated passes without a guide 
at any time. The guides and persons residing on the moun- 
tain passes, can generally foresee, from the appearance of the 
sky, and other weather-signs known to them, the probable 
occurrence of tourmentes, and can generally tell when the 
fall of avalanches is to be apprehended. 

We arrived in safety at the Pavilion, where refreshments 
may be obtained, and where any amount of curious articles 
can be purchased. Here the snow-clad peaks of the moun- 
tains towered above us, with their intervening valleys of ex- 
tended fields of snow. A circumstance peculiar to the surface 
of the snow field, or upper glacier, we had not an opportunity 



280 MER DE GLACE SUBLIME SCENERY. 

of witnessing: the occurrence of red snow. This phenomenon, 
which at one time was treated with incredulity, is of common 
occurrence among the High Alps, and is produced by a spe- 
cies of fungus, called Palmella Nivolis, or Proto-coccus, a 
true vegetable, which plants itself on the surface of the snow, 
takes root, germinates, produces seed, and dies. In the state 
of germination it imparts a pale carmine lint to the snow ; 
this increases, as the plant comes to maturity, to a deep crim- 
son blush, which gradually fades, and, as the plant decays, 
becomes a black dust or mould. By collecting some of the 
coloured snow in a bottle, and pouring it on a sheet of paper, 
the form of the plant may be discovered with a microscope, 
as soon as the water has evaporated. 

At the Pavilion we had the most sublime view that the 
mind can conceive. From the Montanvert, the Mer de Glace 
is seen to an extent of tv/o leagues up the valley, towards the 
Mont Periades and the Aiguilles of Lechaud, on either side of 
which a branch continues. The view of this enormous sea 
of ice is one of the most striking in these scenes of wonder ; 
but its great extent, from the vast size of every object about 
it, is very deceptive. Its vast surface, extending so far above 
and below the point of view where we stood, seemed like an 
immensely extensive declivity, gradually sloping downwards, 
and covering an immense valley between two massive moun- 
tains, with its numerous fissures and frightful chasms here 
and there apparent ; the eye is lost in the grandeur and sub- 
limity of the impressive scene. Directly across the Mer de 
Glace are some of the finest of those pinnacled mountains, 
which form so striking a feature in the Chamouny scenery. 
The nearest is the Aiguille du Dru, and still further on the 
right is Aiguille du Moine. A thousand nameless pinnacles 
pierce the clouds between them, and seem to prop the loftiest 
of this stupenduous mass, which is the Aiguille Verte, that 
rises m.ore than thirteen thousand feet above the level of the 
sea, and nearly seven thousand feet above the Montanvert. 
It was a beautiful sky, 28th of June, and well suited to a fair 
and clear view of these snow-topped peaks, towering in such 
awful grandeur and majestic sublimity for so many thousand 
feet above our heads, and apparently entirely beyond the 
reach of mere mortality. A few scattering clouds of pure, 
and almost transparent, whiteness, were gently floating around 
the lofty summits. I cannot express the feelings I experienced 
while contemplating this wonderful and sublime scenery; the 
language of the poet is applicable and appropriate : 



WALK ON THE GLACIER. 281 



Above me are the Alps, 



The palaces of Nature, whose VEist walls 
Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps, 

And throned Eternity in icy halls 
Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls 

The avalanche — the thunderbolt of snow I 
All that expands the spirit, yet appals. 

Gather around these summits, as to show 
How earth may pierce to heaven, yet leave vain man below." 

We descended upon the Mer de Glace with the intention 
of crossing it, and for which adventure I felt extremely de- 
sirous. But after we had made some progress, without any 
difficulty or apparent danger, our French lady became very- 
much alarmed at the prospect of occasionally stepping across 
a small fissure in the ice, and we were constrained on her 
account, to content ourselves with a walk somewhat limited. 
Yet we had an opportunity of observing the beauty of the 
Mer de Glace, its purity and colour in the crevices, which 
could not be conceived when merely looking down upon it 
from near the Pavilion. Some of the chasms were of fright- 
ful depth. 

The glaciers, one of the most sublime features of the Alps, 
and one of the most wonderful phenomena of nature, are 
composed of those vast accumulations of the snow which 
falls during nine months of the year on the higher summits 
and valleys, remaining for several months a dry and loose 
powder, until the heat of the summer sun begins to melt and 
consolidate the mass. Under the influence of its warmth, 
the snow assumes first a granular form ; and to pass over it 
in that state, is like walkmg among rice or peas, in which 
one sinks up to the knees. Lower down, or as the heat in- 
creases so as to melt a considerable portion, and cause the 
water to percolate it, it becomes a compact mass. The frosty- 
temperature of the night hardens that which has been dis- 
solved in the day, and thus, after repeated thavvings and 
freezings, the whole undergoes a fresh crystallization, being 
converted into ice of a coarser grain and less compact sub- 
stance than common ice. Thus it appears to pass through a 
regular transition or passage from the loose powdery snow, 
to the more dense ice of the glacier. 

Ebel has computed the number of glaciers among the Swiss 
Alps at four hundred, and the extent of surface occupied by 
them at one hundred and thirty square leagues ; this, how- 
ever, must be but a vague estimate. They vary fronri a few 
yards square to acres and miles in extent, covering, in some 
instances, whole districts, filling up entirely the elevated hoU 

24^ 



282 CHANGES PERILOUS EXPLOEATION. 

lows and basins between the peaks and ridges of the Alps, 
and sending forth arms and branches into the inhabited val- 
leys, below the region of forests, and as far down as the level 
at which corn will grow. It is such offsets of the glacier 
that are presented to the view of the traveller on the Mer de 
Glace, and its branches. These, however, are, as it were, 
but the skirts and fringes of that vast, everlasting drapery of 
ice which clothes all the upper region of the Alps. These 
fields or tracts of uninterrupted glaciers have been called 
" Seas of Ice," Mers de Glace. That around the Finster- 
Aar-horn, has been estimated to be in extent one hundred 
and twenty-five square miles. Some of them are computed 
to be at least eight hundred feet in depth. 

Notwithstanding their great extent and solidity, the gla- 
ciers are by no means stationary, even in the winter. Al- 
though the movement is slight, yet they do not remain quite 
still. They are undergoing a perpetual process of renova- 
tion and destruction. The summer sun, aided by particular 
winds, acts upon the surface, so that, in the middle of the 
day, it abounds in pools, and is traversed by rills of water. 
The constant evaporation from every part exposed to the 
air produces great diminution in the upper beds ; but, above 
all, the temperature of the earth, which is at all seasons 
greater than that of ice, is constantly melting away its lower 
surface. The vacancy thus caused from below, is partially 
or entirely filled up from above by the winter's snow falling 
upon the mountain tops, and on the whole upper region, 
which is drifted into the higher valleys below, and pressed 
down by its own weight. 

Fluge, in one of his journeys, found his way under a gla- 
cier, by following the bed of a dried-up torrent which passed 
below it. He wandered about beneath the ice to the distance 
of a mile. The ice was every where eaten away into dome- 
shaped hollows, varying from two to twelve feet in height, so 
that the whole mass of the glacier rested, at intervals, on 
pillars or feet of ice, irregular in size and shape, which had 
been left standing. As soon as any of these props gave way, 
a portion of the glacier would of course fall in and melt 
away. The water streamed down upon him from all sides, 
so that, after wandering about for two hours, at times bend- 
ing and creeping to get along under the low vaults, he re- 
turned to the open air, quite drenched and half frozen. Such 
explorations, however, are attended with imminent peril. The 
source of the Arve is from a vault of ice under the termina- 
tion of the Mer de Glace. The guides generally prohibit en- 



FISSURES AND CHASMS — ECONOMY OF NATURE. 283 

trance, but many walk thus far without their aid, and their 
folly has no restraint. The danger is, that, blocks of ice 
may detach themselves from above, and crush the rash ad- 
venturers with their weight. In 1797, three persons were 
crushed here ; one, a son of M. Maritz of Geneva, perished ; 
his father and his cousin escaped with broken legs. 

The fissures and chasms which traverse the upper portion 
of the glaciers, before it becomes entirely fractured and dis- 
ruptured, run in a transverse direction, and are the chief 
source of danger to those who cross the glaciers, being often 
concealed by a treacherous coating of snow, and many a 
bold chamois-hunter has found a grave in their recesses. 
Ebel mentions an instance of a shepherd, who, in driving his 
flock over the ice to a higher pasturage, had the misfortune 
to tumble into one of these clefts. He fell in the vicinity of 
a torrent which flowed under the glacier, and, by following 
its bed under the vault of ice, succeeded in reaching the foot 
of the glacier with a broken arm. More melancholy was the 
fate of M. Mouron, a clergyman, of Grindelvvald ; he was 
engaged in making some scientific researches upon the gla- 
cier, and was in the act of leaning over to examine a singu- 
lar well-shaped aperture in the ice, when the staff, on which 
he rested, gave way ; he was precipitated to the bottom, and 
his lifeless and mangled body was recovered, a few days 
afterwards, from the depths of the glacier. 

It is highly interesting to consider how important a service 
the glaciers perform in the economy of nature. These dead 
and chilly fields of ice, which prolong the reign of winter 
throughout the year, are, in reality, the source of life and 
the springs of vegetation. They are the locked-up reservoirs, 
the sealed fountains, from which vast rivers, traversing the 
great continents of our globe, are sustained. The summer 
heat, which dries up other sources of water, first opens out 
these bountiful supplies. When the rivers of the plain begin 
to shrink and dwindle within their parched beds, the torrents 
of the Alps, fed by melting snow and glaciers, rush down 
from the mountains and supply the deficiency. How kind is 
Providence ! 

It is a remarkable fact that, amidst some of the most mag- 
nificent scenery of the globe, where nature seems to have put 
forth all her powers in exciting emotions of wonder and ele- 
vation in the mind, man appears, from a mysterious visitation 
of disease, in his most degraded and pitiable condition. Such, 
however, is the fact. It is in the grandest and most beautiful 
valleys of the Alps that the maladies of goitre and creimism 



284 DISEASES — GOITRE CRETINISM. 

prevail. Goitre is a swelling in the front of the neck, (of the 
thyroid gland or the parts adjoining,) which increases with 
the growth of the individual, until, in some cases, it attains 
an enormous size, and becomes a hideous wallet of flesh, 
hanging pendulous down to the breast. It is not, however, 
attended with pain, and generally seems to be more unsightly 
to the spectator than inconvenient or hateful to the bearer. 
Cretinism, which occurs in the same localities as goitre, and 
evidently arises from the same cause, whatever it may be, is 
a more serious malady, inasmuch as it affects the mind. The 
cretin is an idiot, a melancholy spectacle, a creature who 
may almost be said to rank a step below a human being. A 
vacancy is in his countenance, his head is disproportionately 
large, his limbs are stunted or crippled, he cannot articulate 
his words with distinctness, and scarcely any work is he 
capable of executing. He spends his days basking in the 
sun, and from its warmth appears to derive great gratification. 
When a stranger appears, he becomes a clamorous and im- 
portunate beggar, assailing him with a ceaseless chattering; 
and the traveller is commonly glad to be rid of his hideous 
presence at the expense of a few pence. 

These diseases are much more common in females than in 
males, and usually occur about the age of womanhood. 
They become hereditary in a family ; but children born and 
educated on spots distant from home, and in elevated situa- 
tions, are often exempt from these hideous diseases. It is 
supposed that these diseases are connected with the condition 
of the atmosphere, as they are found in low, warm, and moist 
situations, at the bottom of valleys, where a stagnation of 
water occurs, and where the summer exhalations and autum- 
nal fogs arising from it are not carried off by a free circula- 
tion of air. Other causes have been assigned, but facts 
abundantly prove that the above is the only true cause of 
these diseases. 

Our journey back to Chamouny, and thence to Geneva, 
had nothing specialty interesting. We arrived in safety, and 
much gratified with the excursion, and would not have missed 
the sublime scenery of Mont Blanc for any consideration. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Departure from Geneva — Lake Leman or Geneva — Lausanne— House 
of Gibbon — Basle — Cathedral — Tomb of Erasmus — Clock-time of 
Basle — Grotesque Clock — Fourth of July — Strasburg — Count Nassau 
and Daughter — Gathedral — Mayence — Invention of Printing — Frank- 
fort on the Maine — Lutheran Churches — Coblentz — Church of St. 
Castor — Splendid Prospect — Fort of Ehrenbreitstein — Deep Well — 
Large Cannon — Roman Castle — Baths — Floating Mills — Cologne — 
German Dinner — Subterranean Aqueduct — Cathedral — Church of St. 
Gereon — Convent — Arsenal — Manufactures. 

I EMBARKED on board a steamer, and left Geneva for Lau- 
sanne. It must be acknowledged that the Lake of Geneva, 
though it wants the gloomy sublimity of the Bay of Uri, and 
the sunny softness of the Italian lakes, with their olive and 
citron groves, yet has high claims to admiration. It also 
possesses great variety of scener}^ The vine-covered slopes 
of Vaud contrast well with the abrupt, rocky precipices of 
Savoy. Near Geneva the hills subside, admitting an exqui- 
site view of Mont Blanc, whose snowy summit, though sixty 
miles distant, is often reflected in its waters. At its eastern 
or upper extremity it extends to the very base of the high 
Alps, which, by their close vicinity, give its scenery a cha- 
racter of increased magnificence. The boats on the lake 
have lateen sails, like the craft of the Mediterranean. 

" Clear, placid Leman ! thy contrasted lake, 

With the wide world I dwell in, is a thing 

Which warns me, with its stillness, to forsake 

Earth's troubled waters for a purer spring. 

This quiet sail is as a noiseless wing 

To waft me from distraction. Once I loved 

Torn ocean's roar, but thy soft murmuring 

Sounds sweet, as if a sister's voice reproved. 
That I with stern delights should e'er have been so moved." 

I landed once more at Lausanne, and put up at the Hotel 
Gibbon. This town, the capital of the Canton Vaud contains 
about fifteen thousand inhabitants. It stands on the lower 
slope of the Mount Joret, which sinks gradually down to 
the lake, but is intersected by several ravines, giving it the 



286 BASLE CATHEDRAL TOMB OF ERASMUS. 

form of distinct eminences. From this cause, the streets, 
ranging over broken ground, are a series of ups and downs. 
Many are very sleep, and run in a direction parallel to the 
lake, so as to exclude all view from it. 

The house of Gibbon, the historian, is in the lower part 
of the town, behind the church of St. Francis, and on the 
right of the road leading to Ouchy. It is said not to be 
changed. It has a garden, a terrace overlooking the lake, a 
summer-house, and a few acacias; but another summer- 
house, in which he is said to have finished his history, has 
been removed. 

At Lausanne I took the diligence for Basle, on the river 
Rhine. We travelled rapidly for three days and nights, af- 
fording very little opportunity for observation, excepting 
along the road-side. Part of the route was through a well- 
cultivated and beautiful country, abounding in villages, vine- 
yards, &c. We passed through some of the most romantic 
defiles and gorges that I ever witnessed. In many places the 
road was so narrow as not to admit the passing of two car- 
riages, the rocks on both sides rising some thousand feet, 
almost perpendicular, and not in horizontal layers, as with 
us in America. 

Basle is situated on both sides of the river Rhine, and the 
two parts are connected by a wooden bridge, supported on 
stone piers. Its population- is about twenty thousand. It 
enjoys considerable prosperity, from the residence of many 
rich merchants, bankers, and families of ancient descent, and 
from its position, in an angle on the frontiers of France, Ger- 
many, and Switzerland, about a mile below the spot where 
the Rhine first becomes navigable. 

The Cathedral, or Minster, upon the high bank on the left 
of the Rhine, above the bridge, distinguished by its two spires 
and the deep red colour of the sandstone of which it is built, is 
an interesting and picturesque edifice, though not of beautiful 
architecture. It was commenced by the Emperor, Henry 
II., in 1010, and consecrated in 1019. The portal leading 
into the north transept is decorated with statues of Christ and 
St. Peter, and of the wise and foolish virgins. In the west 
front are groups of statues; St. George and the Dragon, and 
St. Martin and the Beggar, stand forth with great boldness. 
The church is now used for the Protestant service, and the 
altar stands between the choir and nave, nearly under- 
neath a rich Gothic gallery. On the left of the altar, against 
a pillar, is the red marble tombstone of Erasmus, who died 
here in 1536. 



GROTESaUE CLOCK FOURTH OF JULY. 287 

The Public Library contains fifty thousand volumes, among 
ihem the Acts of the Council of Basle, in three volumes, with 
chains attached to the binding ; many important manuscripts, 
and a few of the books of Erasmus. Here are autographs of 
Luther, Melancthon, Erasmus, and Zuinglius. On the ground 
floor is the gallery of paintings and drawings by the younger 
Holbein, a highly interesting collection of the works of that 
master, including the Passion of Christ, in eight compart- 
ments. 

Down to the end of the last century, (1795,) the clocks of 
Basle went an hour in advance of those in other places of 
Europe ; a singular custom, the origin of which is not pre- 
cisely known. According to tradition, it arose from the cir- 
cumstance of a conspiracy to deliver the town to an enemy 
at midnight having been defeated by the clock striking one 
instead of twelve. 

Attached to the clock-tower on the bridge, is a grotesque 
head, called Lallenkonig, which, by the movement of the 
pendulum, is constantly protuding its long tongue, and roll- 
ing its goggle-eyes, making faces, it is said, at Little Basle, 
on the opposite side of the river. 

The ancient sumptuary laws of Basle were singular and 
severe. On Sunday all must dress in black to go to church ; 
females could not have their hair dressed by men ; carriages 
were not permitted in the town after ten at night, and it was 
forbidden to place a footman behind a carriage. The official 
censors had the control of the number of dishes and wines 
to be allowed at a dinner party; and their authority was su- 
preme on all that related to the cut and quality of clothes. 
At one time they waged desperate war against slashed doublets 
and hose. 

The fourth of July, so noted in my native country, I had to 
spend alone, having no countrymen of my own near me with 
whom to participate in the celebration of our national inde- 
pendence. Yet home, with all its endearments, was upper- 
most in my thoughts all day, and my imagination was con- 
stantly carrying me to the joyous scenes transpiring across 
the wide Atlantic, in free, happy America. On this day I 
took my leave of Basle, and rode in a kind of omnibus to the 
French frontier, where I experienced, as usual in crossing the 
lines from one country to another in Europe, a most vexatious 
delay among custom-house officers, overhauling every article 
of my baggage. Here I had to pay duty on two pieces of 
silk which I had brought with me from Italy, but which they 
refunded to me when I afterwards left the French territory. 



288 STRASBURG — COUNT NASSAU AND DAUGHTER. 

The cars at the railroad depot were detaiaed some time by 
this tedious process at the custom-house, and as soon as my- 
self and luggage were permitted to pass, I was hurried to my 
seat, when we instantly set off at the rate of about twenty 
miles per hour. This railroad runs over a beautiful and rich 
plain, between the river and the hills, and is nearly parallel 
with the river. It was a beautiful day, and the farmers were 
busily employed in the midst of their wheat harvest, cutting 
with a kind of sickle close to the ground. We passed many 
towns and railroad stations, where the cars regularly stopped 
to exchange passengers. 

I reached Strasburg in due time, and put up at the Hotel 
de la Fleur, which is a good house, but extravagantly high 
in all its charges. Not having it in my power to spend much 
time in the place, I immediately set out with a guide to take 
a hasty view of the city and its prominent sights. In the 
vault of one of the churches I was shown the remains of 
Count Nassau and his daughter. They appeared to be em- 
balmed, had been dead about four hundred years, and were 
enclosed in coffins with glass lids, exposing not only the face 
but the dress of the whole person. They appeared to be in 
a good state of preservation, their faces were dried and shriv- 
elled up, but the colours of their garments were unfaded. 

The Cathedral is among the greatest in Europe. It is four 
hundred and forty feet high, and large in proportion. From 
the top I had a most splendid view of the town and surround- 
ing country to a great distance. 

I left Strasburg in a steamer, and descended the Rhine at 
a rapid rate. We arrived at Mayence, formerly the residence 
of the first elector of Germany, and more recently the chief 
place of a department of France, but now the most important 
town in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. It is situated in the 
midst of the most beautiful and fertile country in Germany, 
opposite the mouth of the Maine, partly on the brow of a little 
hill, and partly on the banks of the river. Its population is 
about twenty. six thousand, without including the garrison, 
which consists of six thousand Prussians and Aastrians, this 
town being an important fortress of the confederation. 

It was in A. D. 70, that the twenty-second legion, which, 
under the Emperor Titus, had assisted in the conquest of Je- 
rusalem, came to garrison Mayence, and with it came Cre- 
scentius, who is supposed to have been the first that taught 
the Christian religion on the banks of the Rhine, under the 
title of Bishop. 

Mayence claims the invention of the art of printing, in the 



MAYENCE — FRANKFORT ON THE MAINE. 289 

fifteenth century ; an honour of which Strasburg and Haarlem 
have in vain endeavoured to deprive it. The attempts which 
Guttenburg (the original inventor of printing) first made at 
Strasburg, succeeded afterwards at Mayence. This town soon 
after lost all its splendour by the terrible war with Didier of 
Isenburg, and Adolphus of Nassau. The printers were 
amongst the number of those who emigrated to the other 
towns of Germany, where they taught the newly discovered 
art. A column, commemorating the invention of printing, 
was erected here in 1824. 

The Library in Mayence contains about eighty thousand 
volumes, among which are a number of works printed during 
the infancy of the art, such as the Psalter of 1459, the Bible 
of 1462, the Caiholicon of 1460, and several thousands of 
other works of early date. 

I crossed the bridge of boats on the Rhine, and went by 
railroad to Frankfort-on-the-Maine. We travelled rapidly, 
passing through a beautiful country, and in a few hours ar- 
rived at Frankfort. This was formerly an imperial town, 
and the place where the Roman Emperors were elected. It 
is now one of the four free towns of Germany, and the seat 
of the Germanic Diet. It is situated on the Maine, in a fertile 
plain, bounded by hills on the south and north. The Maine 
divides the town into two unequal parts ; the smaller portion 
is called Sachsenhausen. The city has nine principal gates, 
and is divided into twelve quarters, designated by the first 
twelve letters of the alphabet, A to M, and Sachsenhausen 
into two quarters, N and O. The houses in each quarter 
bear numbers in the Arabic character, and those of the new 
streets, on the site of the fortifications, are numbered with 
Roman letters, a mode which affords great facility in finding 
out any particular house. The town contains about twenty- 
five thousand inhabitants, two-thirds of whom are Lutherans. 
The remaining third is about equally divided into Catholics, 
Calvinists, and Jews. Frankfort was originally only an im- 
perial palace, which Charlemagne built at the time of his 
passage into this country ; for the real m.eaning of the word 
jfbrt or Frank-fu7't is passage. 

The Lutheran church of the barefooted Carmelites is built 
of freestone, and forms an oval one hundred and thirty-two 
feet in length, and one hundred and eight in breadth. The 
Lutherans have several other large churches. The Roman 
Catholics have a cathedral, or Church of St. Bartholomew, 
on the south side of the town, fn this church the kings of 
Germany were elected, and, after the election, stood on the 

25 



290 COBLENTZ CHURCH OP ST. CASTOR. 

altar. The old chapel, where the election took place, still 
exists. 

The Roemer, or Town Flouse, is a very irregular edifice, 
consisting of a number of private buildings, which the corpo- 
ration has successively united. The great hall has been 
erected more than four hundred years. In the hall of the 
emperors, where the newly-crowned monarch dined, are por- 
traits of all the emperors of Germany, from Conrad I., with 
the exception of the last, for whose portrait there was no 
room. The old hall for conferences at the time of the elec- 
tions is now appropriated to the sittings of the Senate. The 
town contains a large public library, a number of charitable 
institutions, hospitals, and institutions for the promotion of 
the arts and sciences. 

In the evening of the same day I returned to Mayence, and 
embarked on board a steamer. In descending the river, the 
banks seemed to be studded with numerous villages and 
towns. We arrived at Coblentz, which is about eighteen 
leagues from Mayence. 

Coblentz is situated at an angle which the Rhine and Mo- 
selle form at their confluence, whence it originally derived its 
name, conjiuens. It contains about eleven thousand inhabi- 
tants. The Romans constructed a strong castle in the place, 
called Alter Hof, which became a royal palace when subject 
to the Franks. The new castle, near the Rhine, was erected 
by Clement, the last elector of Treves, between 1779 and 
and 1787. The castle is built in the ancient style. The 
guard-houses, &;c. form a semicircle in front of the principal 
building. The interior was formerly arranged with great 
magnificence and taste. The church, which forms part of 
this castle, is remarkable for its simplicity. The French 
transformed this elegant palace, whence is a fine view over 
the surrounding country, into barracks, and it has often been 
made use of as a depot for prisoners of war, which has given 
it a miserable appearance. 

The Collegiate Church of St. Castor is one of the most 
remarkable in Coblentz. The spot where it is situated was 
formerly an island of the Rhine. Its roof is supported by 
Corinthian columns. A council, composed of three kings 
and eleven bishops, was held here in 806. On the left side 
of the church is the tomb of St. Riza, a descendant of Louis 
le Debonaire, and the picture at the second altar, on the 
same side, is a copy of Reubens' Descent from the Cross. 

A quarter of a league from the town was the ancient Char- 
treuse, situated at the top of a small hill. The height is now 



FORT OF EHRENBREITSTEIN DEEP WELL. 291 

fortified, and bears the name of Fort Alexander. The pros- 
pect from this spot is very extensive and varied. On the 
right may be seen the charming island of Oberworth, watered 
by the Rhine, and near Capellen, high mountains, the pictu- 
resque forms of which resemble an amphitheatre. In the 
distance is Lahnstein, with its old castle in ruins, and, almost 
out of sight, appear the old towers of the castle of Markus- 
burg. A delightful valley extends to the fort of Ehrenbreit- 
stein, and thence to the rocks near Andernach. In every 
direction villages and country houses may be seen, sur- 
rounded by well-cultivated fields, and at the foot of the 
Tieight, in the midst of a fertile country, stands Coblentz, 
which seems to make one and the same town with the village 
of Neuendorf, situated in the vicinity. 

The Fort of Ehrenbreitstein stands on a mountain about 
two leagues from Coblentz. The Romans established a 
strong castle on this mountain in the time of the Emperor 
Julian, on the ruins of which Archbishop Hermann Hillinus 
erected the fort that was finished in 1160, and receives from 
its founder the name of Hermannstein. The Elector John, 
Margrave of Baden, augmented and repaired the fortifications, 
and caused a well, which derives water from the Rhine, to be 
dug in the rocks two hundred and eighty feet deep, which 
undertaking occupied three years ; and it was then found 
necessary to proceed three hundred feet lower, thus making 
the well of the extraordinary depth of five hundred and eighty 
feet. On the highest part of the mountain, on the south side 
of the fort, formerly stood a square tower, on the top of which 
was a foundry, and beneath it a powder magazine. On the 
square, between the barracks and the arsenal, was placed the 
famous cannon called the Griffin, which weighed ten tons, 
and was capable of carrying balls of one hundred and sixty 
pounds. This tower was blown up by the French, and the 
Griffin taken to Metz. 

I again took a steamer, and proceeded from Coblentz down 
the Rhine. Near Neuwied, a town of about five thousand 
inhabitants, are the remains of an ancient town, and of several 
roads, constructed by the Romans, which were discovered in 
1791. The vestiges of a strong castle are also in the vicinity. 
Several walls project from the ground in several places, and 
traces of a ditch are likewise visible, which is nearly filled. 
The form of the fort is rectangular, with a tower in front. It 
is eight hundred and forty feet long, and six hundred and 
thirty-one wide. The whole is surrounded by a defensive 
wall, five feet thick, furnished with projecting towers. In the 



292 BATHS FLOATING MILLS. 

interior of the rectangle is a bathing house of considerable 
extent, which, from the vestiges that remain, must have been 
very beautiful. The bathing-rooms had a double floor, and 
the ceilings vi^ere supported by more than one hundred brick 
pillars. The statue of a Genius was found in the canal that 
supplied the baths. In these baths have been found a Vic- 
toria Gradiens, a Diana Venatrix, a Mercury with a German 
flute, and a Genius with a cornucopia. The latter statue is 
of common stone, but the others are of bronze. About forty 
medals have been dug up here, all of which bear the date of 
reigns from Tiberius to Gallianus. At some distance from 
this place a temple was discovered in 1801, but has been 
covered over again. The place, however, is distinguished 
by a stone. The fields around the fort contain numerous 
remains of Roman architecture, over which the plough is 
continually passing. 

As we passed down the Rhine from place to place, I ob- 
served a number of floating mills anchored in the river, some- 
what resembling those I had witnessed on the Danube. At 
almost every town 1 noticed that from one to a dozen or more 
of these mills were secured in the middle of the stream, where 
the water had some fall, and was, of course, the more rapid. 
They were ^ fastened to anchors by means of strong iron 
chains. One end of the boat, or scow, on which the mill is 
built, is made peaked, so as to break the ice in the winter. 
They have wheels on each side, which are turned by the ac- 
tion of the current, or rapid, in which the mills are usually 
located. Access is had to the mills by means of boats. They 
have rather a strange appearance to one unaccustomed to 
such floating buildings. In my opinion, such mills might be 
profitably used on some of the rivers in the United States. 

The scenery along the Rhine is very beautiful ; promon- 
tories, castles, towns, towers, many of them very ancient, 
appear at frequent intervals along the shore. In many 
places the hills and mountains bordering the river, are form- 
ed into terraces, and covered with vineyards of large extent, 
and in the most flourishing condition. 

Cologne was my next stopping place. This city, formerly 
one of the most flourishing in Germany, extends, in the form 
of a cresent, alon^ the left bank of the Rhine. The lenn;th 
of the city, along the river, is nearly a league. Its popula- 
tion is about sixty thousand, the greater part of whom are 
Catholics; the number of Lutherans may be estimated at six 
hundred, that of the other Protestants at seven hundred, and 
that of the Jews at two hundred. I obtained an excellent 



COLOGNE SUBTERRANEAN AQUEDUCT CATHEDRAL. 293 

hotel. The dinner hour here, and at most of the public 
tables in Germany, is one o'clock. Every description of 
person and country are to be found seated around these pub- 
lic tables, and, of course, a Babel of tongues and languages 
is a necessary consequent ; at some of the tables, the number 
of your bed room, painted on a piece of tin, is placed next to 
the plate selected by the waiter. To give an idea of a Ger- 
man dinner, here is a memorandum taken at one of the tables 
while dining, of all the dishes served, and in the order in 
which they were handed around the table. The dishes are 
taken to a side-table, and cut up by the waiters in attendance. 
Soup was first served, then bouilli, sausages, tongue, potatoes, 
parsnips, cabbage, calf's head in batter, cutlets, kidneys, fish 
pudding, roast fowls, salad, stewed pears, fried pudding, 
shoulder of mutton roast, and, lastly, roast beef. 

This remarkable city owes its origin to an entrenched camp 
of the Romans, established by Marcus Agrippa. It was sur- 
rounded by walls even when it was the capital of the Ubians. 
The Romans considerably enlarged it, and made it an irregu- 
lar square. A striking proof of the long residence of the 
Romans in this country, is the subterranean aqueduct from 
Treves to Cologne. All the researches of antiquaries, to dis- 
cover for what purpose the Romans constructed this work, 
have proved fruitless. The Emperor Constantino erected 
here a stone bridge over the Rhine, the foundations of which 
may still be seen when the water is low. 

One of the greatest curiosities in this city is the Cathedral, 
which, although never finished, may be considered one of the 
finest monuments of ancient German architecture. It was 
commenced in 1248, and is built in the form of a cross; 
the arches are supported by a quadruple row of sixty-four 
columns. Including the semi-columns and those of the por- 
tico, they exceed in all one hundred. The four columns in 
the middle are thirty feet in circumference, and each of the 
hundred columns is surmounted by a chapiter different from 
the others. The two towers, which were intended to be each 
five hundred feet high, remain unfinished ; the northern one 
is not more than twenty-one feet above the ground, and the 
other is little more than half the intended height. In the 
latter is the great bell, which weighs twenty-five hundred 
pounds, which requires twelve men to put it in motion, and 
when it strikes it causes the immense tower to shake. 

Only the choir of the church, and the chapel surrounding 
it, have been finished. The columns in the nave of the church 
terminate at a ceiling, composed of simple planks, covered 

25* 



294 CHURCH OF ST. GEEEON. 

with slate. In the choir is a beautiful marble reading desk, 
and the grand altar is covered with a superb table of black 
marble, sixteen feet long and nine broad. Before it stand 
four immense brass candlesticks. This altar is ornamented 
with two modern statues, those of Mary and Peter, which rest 
on each side of it as wings. They are carved in wood and 
painted white. In the middle is a tabernacle, decorated with 
seven columns, the idea of which was taken from a passage 
in the Proverbs of Solomon, chapter ix. : " Wisdom hath 
builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars." 
These words may be seen in Latin on the back of the 
altar. The columns are of white marble and fluted, and 
superbly ornamented with chapiters and cornices. The whole 
of this work is of a strange taste, not at all according with 
the fine architecture of the Cathedral. 

The two tombs in the choir, which contain the remains of 
two brothers, Adolphus and Anthony, Counts of Schauen- 
burg, (both archbishops of Cologne,) are ornamented with 
figures of white marble, and white foliage in demi-relief. 
The walls of the choir are covered with tapestry, the designs 
of which were taken from several drawings by Reubens. 
The stone statues of the twelve Apostles, clothed in robes em- 
broidered with gold, which are situated on one side of the 
column, may likewise be considered as beautiful monuments 
of old German sculpture. Over the entrance to the choir is an 
excellent organ. 

Behind the grand allar is the chapel of the Three Kings, 
who, it is pretended, worshipped our Saviour. It is con- 
structed of marble, and is of the Ionic order. After the 
taking and entire destruction of the city of Milan, Frede- 
rick I. presented to Archbishop Reinoid, of Cologne, who 
had accompanied him in his expedition, the bones of the 
three Magi, who visited the infant Saviour at Bethlehem, 
which were deposited by him in this chapel in 1170. The 
tomb was divided, as may still be seen, into three parts. 
The lower part, which is the most spacious, contained the 
bones of the three kings, whose heads were placed separately 
in the middle ; here were three names formed by rubies, 
Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar. These heads w^ere ornamented 
with very valuable gold crowns, each of which weighed six 
pounds, and was richly adorned with diamonds and rubies. 
The tomb containing these relics and riches was robbed 
during the troubles of the French revolution. Some of the 
treasures were afterwards restored. 

The church of St. Gereon and of the Martyrs, was built 



CONVENT ARSENAL — ^MANUFACTURES. 295 

in 1066, by Archbishop Anno, on the sanne spot on which 
the temple, erected by St. Helena, formerly stood. Its cupola, 
with three galleries, is a grand and astonishing work ; and 
the church is certainly one of the finest in Cologne. St. Ge- 
reon and his brave warriors are buried here, and in the 
church may be seen the heads of these martyrs. 

The ancient convent of the Ladies of St. Ursula is remark- 
able for its relation to the legend of that saint and her eleven 
thousand virgins. All the church is filled with bones, which 
are curiously disposed in glass cases and frames of various 
sizes. Some of these cases contain twenty-four, and others 
from ninety to a hundred skulls ; a sight by no means agree- 
able. On the right side, near the entrance, is an apartment 
called the Golden Chamber, in which are preserved the heads 
of many of these eleven thousand virgins. 

The Arsenal contained a fine collection of antiquities, 
which have been partly destroyed, or taken away by the 
French. The most curious were, a piece of ordnance, thir- 
teen feet long, which was cast at Cologne in 1400 ; an Egyp- 
tian mummy, in an old chest, ornamented with iron, and 
manufactured in Egypt; an ancient German war-chariot, 
with small heavy wheels armed with scythes, and the axle- 
tree furnished with pikes, and on this chariot was a chest of 
very thick oak planks, on which were the arms of the city 
of Cologne, and in which were loop-holes for eight or ten 
archers; a Roman coffin, with bas-reliefs and inscriptions; 
an enormous cuirass, with arms that were used by General 
John of Wert, the helmet could hardly be lifted and the lance 
was eighteen feet long. This arsenal, which was formerly 
so great an object of curiosity, has been since converted 
partly into stables and partly into a military store- house. 

Manufactures and commerce form the principal support of 
the inhabitants of Cologne. The cotton and silk manufiic- 
tures hold the first rank. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Dusseldorf — Monument — Castle — Commerce — Entering^ Holland — 
Face of the Country — Dikes — Niineguen — Flying Bridge — Dort — 
Immense Rafts — Rotterdam — Canals — Houses — Street Rcfleclors— 
Stadhousc — Churches — Erasmus — Passage on the Canal — Delft — 
Grotius — Monument of William I. — The Hague — Beautiful Square — 
Royal Palace — Palace in the Wood — Leyden — Haarlem — Immense 
Organ — Costly Flowers — Amsterdam — Royal Palace — Museum- 
East India Warehouses — Churches, «fec. — Literary Institutions — 
Commerce — Brock — Dutch Cleanliness. 

I REACHED Dusseldorf in the steamer from Cologne, and 
found a good hotel and excellent accommodations. This is 
the capital of the Grand Duchy of Berg, and the seat of a 
superior court of justice, and contains about fourteen thou- 
sand inhabitants. It extends along the Rhine in a charming 
plain, and is watered on the south by the Dussel, whence it 
derives its name. Below the castle this rivulet falls into the 
Rhine. Dusseldorf was a strong place until the peace of 
Luneville, in ISOl. The castle and some of the principal 
buildings were reduced to ashes by the last bombardment of 
the French. 

This town is one of the most beautiful on the Rhine; the 
streets are mostly regular, and the houses entirely built of 
brick. In the market-square is the monument of the Elector, 
John William, an admirer of the fine arts, to whom Dussel- 
dorf is indebted for its prosperity. The statue, which is of 
bronze, is larger than life. The elector is on horseback, 
clothed in a cuirass, and holding a general's baton in his 
hand. The pedestal is a kind of gray marble. 

The Public Library contains upwards of thirty thousand 
volumes ; and the same building once contained a most valu- 
able gallery of paintings by Rubens and other celebrated 
artists of the Dutch and Flemish schools, which were nearly 
all carried away. 

Dusseldorf carries on a considerable trade on the Rhine, 
and its port is one of the most frequented on this river. The 
navigation of the Rhine from this place to Flolland, is ma- 
naged exclusively by nine boatmen, five of whom convey 



ENTERING HOLLAND FACE OF THE COUNTRY. 297 

merchandize to Amsterdam, and the other four attend to the 
transportation of goods going to Dort and returning to Dus- 
seldorf. 

Before reaching Nimeguen, the river branches ; the arm 
called Old Rhine separates from the principal river, making 
an immense bend ; whilst the other arm, which is much 
larger, continues its original direction, and takes the name of 
the Waal. The separation of the waters is well worth ob- 
servation ; and the hydraulic works to regulate their course, 
are of great importance, since the very existence of Holland 
depends on them. If these works had not been finished, the 
whole coimlry would have been swallowed up by the waves 
in the inundation of 1784. 

We had now left the Prussian Dominions, and were in 
Holland. The whole of the country is low and flat, and may 
justly be compared to a sea in a calm. From the top of a 
steeple, the eye ranges over a boundless plain, intersected by 
canals and dikes; meadows of the freshest verdure, covered 
by numerous herds of cattle ; towns, villages, and detached 
houses embossed in trees ; numerous vessels continually 
gliding along the canals, and, by the animation which they 
give to the landscape, compensating, in some degree, for its 
want of bold and picturesque beauty. A great part of the 
territory is below the level of the sea, and would be laid 
under water by the tides were it not for the enormous dikes 
erected along the coast. These dikes employ annually more 
than all the corn of Holland can maintain. They are mostly 
thirty feet in height, and seventy broad at the bottom. They 
are built of clay, faced on the land side with wood and stone, 
and toward the sea with mats of rushes and sea-weed. In 
North Holland, during violent storms, they cover the out- 
sides of the dikes with sail-cloth. A board of dike commis- 
sioners superintend all the embankments in the country: 
many subordinate commissioners are stationed all over the 
kingdom, who are required to report from time to time to the 
high board, the condition of the dikes in their districts. Not- 
withstanding all these efforts to preserve the country, the sea 
is still gaining on the coast. Canals are as numerous in 
Holland as roads in other countries ; and the country is so 
level, that they scarcely need a lock in their construction. 
Some of them are as old as the tenth century. The most 
noted is the Great Dutch Canal, fifty miles in length from 
Amsterdam to the Holder. It is one hundred and twenty- 
four and a half feet wide at the surface, and twenty feet and 



298 NIMEGUEN FLYING BRIDGE DORT I3IMENSE RAFTS. 

nine inches deep. The width is sufficient to allow two frigates 
to pass each other. 

Nimeguen is an ancient town, containing about fourteen 
thousand inhabitants. It was called by the Romans Novio- 
magum, and is the capital of Gelderland. The streets are 
narrow, and the windows of one range of houses overlook 
the chimneys of another. At this place is what is called a 
flying bridge; it is considered the best and most convenient 
where it can be adopted, which is only where the river has a 
considerable current. An anchor is fixed at a certain dis- 
tance up the stream, this distance being always greater than 
the breadth of the river, from which a cable of rope or chain 
passes to the platform of the ferry-boat, which is here sup- 
ported on a couple of large barges. This cable is buoyed up 
by passing over such a number of boats as may be found 
necessary. If the rudder of the large platform be moved so 
as to turn the heads of the supporting barges about a point 
of the compass towards the stream, so as to let it act against 
the sides of their bows, they will of course sheer across, or 
oscillate like a pendulum, with a slow and uniform motion, to 
the opposite side, the cable and its supporting boats edging 
over in the direction of the platform. 

We passed Dort, situated on an island formed by the Mouse. 
This island was torn from the opposite shore in 1421, by an 
irruption of the rivers, which broke down the dikes, and de- 
stroyed seventy-two villages, and one hundred thousand per- 
sons. The town contains about eighteen thousand inhabitants, 
and is one of the most ancient cities in Holland, and v/as for- 
merly the capital of the province. It is said to have been 
founded by Merovius. The natural situation of Dort is so 
strong, that, although frequently besieged, it has never been 
taken. The famous Protestant Synod was held here in 1618 
and 1619, which condemned the tenets of Arminius. 

Vast floats or rafts of timber arrive here from various 
places on the Rhine. The sale of one raft frequently pro- 
duces more than one hundred and thirty thousand dollars. A 
description of one of these rafts may not be uninteresting. The 
length of one of the largest is generally from seven hundred 
to nine hundred feet, and the breadth about seventy feet. On 
this mass of floating wood, are twelve or fifteen small houses, 
built with planks. That inhabited by the proprietor is usually 
remarkable for its elegance and convenience. Several hun- 
dred workmen and rowers are employed. The timber of the 
raft is mostly oak and fir. A large raft of this description 



ROTTERDAM CANALS. 299 

draws six or eight feet of water, and its entire weight is in 
proportion. On both sides of the principal raft are two 
smaller ones, called knees, which are attached to the middle 
one by a small oak, and serve to direct the course of the raft, 
and are generally from seventy to eighty feet long. Other 
still smaller rafts are attached to the principal one and to the 
knees. These are used to avoid the danger of running 
aground on the sand. A large raft is likewise accompanied 
by several boats, the largest of which are laden with anchors 
and cordage, and the small ones are employed in sounding 
the river or going ashore. The consumption of provisions 
on a raft, from the time of its setting out until its arrival at 
its place of destination, is calculated at forty or fifty thousand 
pounds of bread, eighteen or twenty thousand pounds of fresh 
meat, ten hundred weight of dried meat, twelve thousand 
pounds of cheese, ten or fifteen hundred weight of butler, 
thirty or forty large sacks of dried vegetables, five or six 
hundred ohms (a tun of one hundred and eighty bottles) of 
beer, and six or eight butts of wine, of seven and a half ohms 
each. The live cattle are on the raft, and several butchers 
are always in the equipage, besides cooks, &;c. At Dort the 
timber is sold, and thence part of it is conveyed to England, 
Spain and Portugal, for the use of their navies. The con- 
struction of a raft is very expensive. A capital of at least 
three hundred or four hundred thousand florins is requisite to 
its proper equipment. 

At Rotterdam I landed and remained several days. This 
city is situated in the centre of South Holland, on the north 
side of the Maze. It is next in size, population, beauty of its 
buildings, trade and opulence, to Amsterdam. Its primitive 
existence, as a small hamlet, may be traced to a period nearly 
as early as the year 900, when first a dam or dike was raised 
to defend the banks of the small stream, the Rotte, from 
being submerged by the impulse of the waters of the Maze. 
Its present population is about seventy thousand. 

The ground plan of the city is that of a triangle, the base 
being the quay, stretching along the river, and a perpendicu- 
lar drawn from it to the opposite extremity may be some- 
what less than a mile. Through the middle of most of the 
streets runs a straight canal, where the largest ships may 
conveniently load and unload at the doors of the warehouses, 
bordered by large, lofty trees. They are crossed by nume- 
rous drawbridges, which, mixed with the shipping, the trees, 
and the houses, have a very picturesque effect. Between the 



son HOUSES STREET REFLECTORS STADTHOUSE. 

frees and each of the canals is the quay, which is of a width 
sufficient for shipping, landing, and receiving all articles of 
merchandize; and within the row of trees are the paved 
streets for carts, carriages, and horses; and inside of these 
again, and extending close to the fronts of the houses, is a 
paved footway. In these canal streets is an incessant and 
interestinsj bustle. In the streets do"s are used for drao:gin«; 

~_ O CD O 

small carriages containing merchandize; sometimes as many 
as four are harnessed to one vehicle. 

The houses are generally spacious and lofty, some built in 
the modern and others in the old Spanish style. In many 
of the streets they are really elegant. But belonging, as they 
do, chiefly to merchants and tradesmen, their ware-rooms are 
mostly on the ground-floor, and extend far behind, while the 
family inhabit the upper stories. Nothing can exceed the 
cleanliness observed in every part of their houses. I ob- 
served one peculiarity in this and all Dutch towns, in the 
construction of the houses : the gable ends front the streets. 
To almost every house in Rotterdam, and sometimes to every 
window of a house on the first floor, is fixed a single or double 
looking-glass or reflector, by means of which a person in the 
room, silting before the window, can see, by reflection, the 
whole length of the street, the passengers, trees, canals, and 
the shipping. When two of these reflectors are placed at 
right angles, and the right angle pointed towards the window, 
a person within, directing the eye to that angle, will see the 
whole street, btoh to the right and letl. They are adapted 
for the amusement of the ladies. 

The Stadthouse, or town-hall, is an ancient structure. It 
still retains the same spire which formerly belonged to the 
church of the old St. Elizabeth's Hospital, which we find 
mentioned in records as early as the year 1329. The pre- 
sent toll-bell bears an inscription implying that it had been 
cast as early as 1387. In building the Schieland's House 
seven hundred and thirty large fir trees were driven into the 
ground, and the foundations were laid of an edifice eighty 
feet square, which for style of architecture is esteemed perfect, 
and is one of the most magnificent buildings in Holland. In 
one of the apartments a picture is to be seen, representing 
William III., King of Great Britain and. Stadholder of the 
United Provinces, on horseback. It was this monarch that 
planted a lime tree in the spacious court behind the house, 
which now casts its shadow over the greater part of the gar- 
den. When Napoleon and Maria Louisa visited Rotterdam in 



PASSAGE ON THE CANAL— DELFT — GROTIUS. 301 

1811, the whole house was richly and elegantly furnished to 
serve as their palace. The Emperor Alexander, of Russia, 
lodged here on his visit to this city in 1814. 
■ The Episcopalians have a small, but elegant church. The 
English Presbyterians and Scotch Presbyterians have each a 
church. The Dutch Reformed have four. One of them con- 
tains the tombs of the Admirals De Witt and Kortenaer. The 
French have one church, &c. 

Opposite to the house in which he was born, is a splendid 
statue of Erasmus, in brass. It is said to be a striking re- 
semblance of his picture. It was formerly scoured once a 
year, to such a brightness that it appeared like gold in 
sunshine; but, as it was observed that the more delicate fea- 
tures were likely to be destroyed by this act of cleanliness, 
this annual scouring was discontinued. The monument con- 
tains a number of suitable inscriptions. 

From Rotterdam I took passage on board a canal packet- 
boat, or barge. The whole length of these barges is usually 
thirty feet, divided into two apartments, or cabins, each about 
six feet wide and seven high. The larger room, towards the 
prow of the boat, is for common passengers and for the luggage, 
and will contain thirty or forty persons. The smaller cabin, 
towards the stern, is engaged at rather a higher rate, and 
holds but eight. Some boats have three apartments. 

Many of the country-houses of the Dutch are built near 
the banks of the canal, the gardens reach to the edge of the 
water, and display all their characteristic neatness and for- 
malit3^ If the country does not naturally afford any romantic 
or beautiful prospects, yet the ceaseless succession of objects 
is pleasing, and causes the time to pass away pleasantly. 
The principal canals are always crowded with boats of vari- 
ous descriptions. 

The first place of any importance was Delft, an ancient 
town, containing about fifteen thousand inhabitants, andis about 
nine miles from Rotterdam. Delft gave birth to the learned 
Grotius, whose remains are deposited in the New Church. 
His monument is simple and elegant. This building likewise 
contains a superb monument to the memory of William I., 
Prince of Orange, not to be exceeded by any piece of sepul- 
chral magnificence of that age in Europe. On a beautiful 
sarcophagus is the recumbent figure of the prince, with his 
favourite dog reposing at his feet. At the four corners are 
bronze statues of Liberty, Fortitude, Justice, and Religion. 
Under an arch, at the head of the tomb, the prince is again 
represented, sitting and in full armour ; while at the other 

26 



302 THE HAGUE — PALACE IN THE WOOD. 

extremity, Fame, with expanded wings, is preparing to pro- 
claim the triumphs of the deUverer of Holland. Above is a 
noble canopy of exquisite workmanship, supported by four 
buttresses of white marble and numerous pillars of black 
and gold. Waving over these are the various trophies and 
escutcheons of the house of Orange-Nassau. Near the Old 
Church is the Prinsenhof, the identical house in which William 
I. was assassinated. The staircase on which he fell, and the 
holes made in the wall by the bullets, are yet shown. 

Four miles and a half from Delft brought us to the Hague, 
the capital of Holland, which, though denominated a village, 
yields to few of the noblest cities in Europe, in the beauty of 
its streets, the magnificence of its palaces, and the pleasant- 
ness of its situation. It contains a population of thirty thou- 
sand. The principal street is called the Voorhout, but it is 
rather a series of palaces than a street. Several rows of 
treees are in the centre, with gravel walks beneath them, and 
a carriage way on each side. These trees are preserved with 
great care. 

The most beautiful part of the Hague is a vast oblong 
square, with a noble walk and an avenue of trees on one 
side, and on the other the palace and a large basin of water. 
The beautiful broad street which joins this square, is called 
the Plaats. Near the trees, and towards the centre of the 
street, is a triangle paved with whiter stones than the other 
parts of the street, which denotes the spot where Adelaide de 
Poelgeest, the mistress of Count Albert was massacred, Sep- 
tember 22d, 1392, during a popular insurrection. 

The Royal Palace is an ancient building, and is occupied 
by the Prince of Orange. The front is very plain, but the 
side towards the garden is more ornamented. The Royal 
Museum contains a choice collection of pictures : the Chinese 
cbainet, consisting of a very curious collection of articles 
manufactured in China, among which is a model of the inte- 
rior of a house completely furnished, made by order of Peter 
the Great, and cost thirty thousand francs, and took twenty- 
five years to complete it. The Royal Library contains 
seventy thousand volumes. The cabinet of medals is one 
of the richest collections of the kind, containing thirty-four 
thousand valuable articles. 

At the distance of half a league northeast from the Hague, 
is the Palace in the Wood, formerly the summer residence of 
the Princes of Orange, and erected by Amelia of Solms, widow 
of Prince Frederick Plenry of Orange-Nassau. The wood is 
several miles in extent, and exhibits a fine display of magni- 



LEYDEN — HAARLEM COSTLY FLOWERS. 303 

ficent oaks in all their luxuriance, and apparently of natural 
growth, it is usually called the Forest of the Hague. This 
wood is the favourite walk of the inhabitants of the Haoue, 
particularly on the Sabbath. On Wednesdays and Fridays, 
during the summer, a band plays, at which limes the walks 
are crowded with company. The painted saloon and the 
Chinese tapestry are truly beautiful. The former, called 
Oranjezaal, is an octagon, covered by a cupola sixty feet 
high. The centre of the ceiling is adorned with a portrait of 
the princess who erected the building. The great masters of 
the Flemish and Dutch schools vied in their efforts to decorate 
the walls of this immense apartment. 

Ten miles from the Plague we came to Ley den, a fine town, 
four miles and a half in circumference, and situated on that 
branch of the Rhine which alone carries with it its name to 
the sea, and which surrounds the town, supplying its nume- 
rous canals with water. Leyden made a glorious stand in 
opposing the Spaniards in 1574, on which occasion six thou- 
sand of its inhabitants are said to have perished by famine, 
disease, and the sword. The devotion of the citizens, on the 
above occasion, procured from Prince William of Holland, 
who relieved the place, the highest praise, and, what was of 
more importance, funds for the establishment of a university. 
This university is esteemed among the best disciplined and 
the best regulated schools for the classics, law, medicine, and 
divinity on the whole continent. It contains about three 
hundred students, and has a museum of natural history and 
comparative anatomy, beautifully and scientifically arranged, 
and a library of fifty thousand volumes. 

Haarlem was the next town, distant from Leyden ten miles. 
This place has little to boast of, with the exception of its 
celebrated organ, said to be one of the largest in Europe, 
consisting of eight thousand pipes, and sixty-eight stops; the 
largest pipe is thirty-two feet long and sixteen inches in dia- 
meter. To hear it played a sovereign must be given to the 
organist, and two florins or guilders to the bellows-blower. 
Haarlem is much noted for the beautiful flowers which it pro- 
duces. The tulips of this city are known in every part of 
Europe; fifty, or even one hundred florins is no uncommon 
price for a single bulb of some rare variety. In former times 
one root was sold for more than ten thousand florins, and the 
aggregate sum produced by the sale of one hundred and 
twenty tulips was ninety thousand florins, or six thousand 
seven hundred and fifty pounds sterling. An exhibition of 
plants is made here early in June. 



304 AMSTERDAM — ROYAL PALACE. 

Between Haarlem and Amsterdam the face of the country 
becomes wholly changed. Nothing meets the eye but one 
continued meadow, intersected by ditches to drain off the 
water ; without a tree, or almost a bush, in any direction, and 
terminated, after a few miles travelling, by the Haarlem Meer 
on the south, and the Lake, or great water Ai, on the north. 

I ultimately arrived at Amsterdam, about fifty miles from 
Rotterdam. This city is of a semicircular form, nine miles 
in circumference, surrounded by a fosse eighty feet wide. 
Its walls have been pulled down, but it has twenty-six bas- 
tions, converted into corn-mills. The population is about 
one hundred and eighty thousand, of whom seventeen thou- 
sand are Jews. The whole town stands on enormous piles, 
driven into the mud ; under the Stadlhouse alone are nearly 
fourteen thousand. As soon as the Amstel enters the city, it is 
divided into two streams, -from each of which innumerable 
canals branch off', communicating with each other, and with 
the Zoe, and intersecting almost every street, as in Rotter- 
dam. The canals form ninety little islands, which are con- 
nected together by three hundred bridges. 

The Royal Palace, formerly the Town Hall or Stadthouse, 
built about the middle of the seventeenth century, is a noble 
structure. It is situated in the centre of the Dam, and pre- 
sents nearly a square of two hundred and eighty-two feet 
long, and two hundred and twenty-two feet deep. Its height 
is one hundred and sixteen feet, exclusive of the tower, which 
is sixty-seven feet. Each front has a projection two hundred 
feet in length and seventeen in breadth, and at the four angles 
are pavilions forty feet long, and four broad, surmounted by 
eagles of gilt bronze and imperial crowns, presented to the 
city by the Emperor Maximilian. 

The principal hall in the palace is one hundred and fiffy- 
two feet in length, sixty in breadth, and one hundred in 
height. It contains two statues, Peace and Atlas, around, 
which are hung the standards and other trophies taken by the 
Dutch, and at the corners of the room are statues of Justice, 
Truth, Prudence, and Vigilance. The grand saloon, formerly 
the burgomaster's apartment, and the grand cabinet, are re- 
markable for their paintings and beautifully sculptured chim- 
ney pieces. The hall of the throne is a splendid room, on 
the ceiling of which are painted the arms of the difi'erent 
departments of Holland. The king's bed-room, the dining- 
room, and the small audience-room, are likewise ornamented 
with pictures. Most of the ornaments throughout the palace 
are peculiarly appropriate. Over the door of what was the 



MUSEU3I CHURCHES — LITERARY INSTITUTIONS. 305 

secretary's apartment is the representation of a dog nearly 
famished, watching the body of his murdered master, and by 
his seat is the figure of silence, with her finger on her lips. 
Over the hall formerly devoted to commissioners of bank- 
ruptcy is a group representing Dedalus and Icarus, alluding 
to the speculations which are the ruin of thousands. On the 
ground-floor are the strong apartments, which formerly 
inclosed the vast treasures of the bank. Before the war 
it was supposed to contain a greater quantity of bullion than 
any other bank in the world. The pile of precious metals 
was once valued at forty millions sterling. 

The Royal Museum, belonging to the Institute, formerly in 
the Royal Palace, consists of a collection of pictures, anti- 
quities and curiosities, which was first formed in 1798, but 
has been gradually increasing to the present time, and is dis- 
tributed in six rooms- It is a remarkable fact, that this is 
almost the only fine collection of pictures in Europe which 
was not removed to Paris during the reign of Napoleon. 
Amongst the curiosities deposited here is a wooden ball, into 
which each of the confederate nobles drove a nail, as a token 
of fidelity to the league formed against the Duke of Alva. 

The East India Warehouses, now occupied as granaries, 
and situated near the dock-yard, present a curious appear- 
ance, about one-half of the buildings having sunk into the 
earth in 1822, in consequence of the piles on which they were 
erected suddenly giving way. 

In Amsterdam are ten Reformed Dutch churches, one 
French Reformed, one English Presbyterian, twenty-two 
Catholic, one Walloon, three Lutheran, one Russian, and 
seven Jews' Synagogues. 

In the city are numerous institutions for the alleviation of 
human misery and distress in all their various forms. The 
several hospitals, generally kept distinct for the reception of 
the aged, the infirm, and the desolate, the blind, the lame, 
the widows, and orphans, for foundlings, and for those de- 
prived of reason, of which, taken together, are not fewer than 
forty, most of them large and convenient buildings, besides 
the various prisons, and houses of correction and of indus- 
try. 

Literary and scientific institutions, and those for the pro- 
motion of the arts, are numerous, and have able professors. 
The Athenoeum has a good library. The Anatomical Theatre 
is furnished with a museum containing anatomical prepara- 
tions. Among the pictures in the principal room is an inimi- 
table picture by Rembrandt, representing Professor Tulp, 

26^ 



800 COMMERCE— BROCK DUTCH CLEANLINESS. 

with other surgeons, attending the dissection of a child's arm. 
Immense sums have been offered for this picture. Here also 
are preserved the skeletons of felons sent for dissection, 
dressed up in the clothes they wore when living, and labelled 
with an account of their crimes. 

Amsterdam is a place of great commerce, although it has 
much declined from its former wealth and activity. The 
harbour is spacious, but only light vessels can be accommo- 
dated. 

Before leaving the vicinity of Amsterdam, I visited Brock, 
a little village about eight miles distant from the city, which 
is the admiration of all visiters. The town is built partly 
around the banks of a small circular lake, and from this iako 
flow small streams through most of the streets in a channel 
lined with brick on both sides. The numerous bridges over 
these small canals afford an opportunity for exhibiting the 
taste of the inhabitants in fanciful devices, and in the inter- 
mixture of bright colours. The houses are roofed with tiles 
so glossy, that in the sunshine they glitter like sparV They 
are painted in every part, within and without, of the most 
costly colours, and their whole appearance bespeaks the most 
minute attention to neatness ; the windows are without a 
speck ; every thing has the air of freshness, and a stranger 
looks in vain for a grain of dirt, or even a particle of dust. 
The internal cleanliness of the houses corresponds with the 
external, and the people are equally cleanly in their persons, 
dress, and habits. Little admittance is granted at the front 
door ; and even at the back entrance, a shoe not perfectly 
satisfactory to the genius of the place, must be laid aside, 
and a slipper which is kept for this purpose must be worn 
during the visit. One room is held too sacred for common 
intrusion ; and the neatness and arrangement of this is a pe- 
culiar study. The houses have two entrances, the one of 
which generally painted black, is never opened but in the 
case of death in the family. 

Small gardens extend from one end of a street to the 
other, all ornamented in a way most suitable to the owner's 
taste, and not a blade of loose grass, or a withered leaf is 
allowed to rest on the ground ; even the bodies of the trees 
have the dust brushed from them. The pavement of the 
streets is inlay or mosaic work, formed of pebbles of every 
shape and colour, shells, pieces of glazed brick, &c. dsc. 
N& carriages of any description are allowed to enter the 
village, one street only excepted, which is considered as pol- 
luted, and is but thinly inhabited. The streets, with the 



DUTCH CLEANLINESS. 307 

above exception, are clean beyond all comparison ; not a dog 
or a cat is to be seen in them at liberty ; and a regulation is 
strictly enforced, by which no person is allowed to smoke 
either in or out of doors, without a guard over the bowl of the 
pipe to prevent the ashes from falling out. In this little 
town, Dutch cleanliness and nicely seem to be carried to per- 
fection, probably without a parallel in the world. 

In this vicinity 1 visited the spot where stands the house, 
said to have been occupied by Peter the Great, where he 
personally learned several useful arts, and near which he 
had his ships built. The building is much decayed, and is 
with difficulty preserved as a curiosity and an ancient relic. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Departure for London — Approach to the City — St. Paul's Cathedral — 
Time in Building- — Cost — Exterior — Dimensions — Remarkable Floor 
— Bell — Clock — Model — Whispering Gallery — Floor — Paintings — 
Stone Lantern — Monuments — Westminster Abbey — The Tower — 
Locality — Entrance — Scenes of Horror — Principal Buildings — The 
Church — The White Tower — New Horse Armoury — The Crown 
Jewel Room — British Museum — Monument — Bank of England — 
Bridges — Tunnel — Squares — Parks — Streets — Shops — Parliament — 
Windsor Castle — Prince Albert and Queen Victoria — General View 
— Arrival in New York. 

I RETUKNED to Rotterdam, and thence embarked on board 
the steamer Batavier for London. After rather a rough and 
stormy passage, we entered the Thames. The whole valley on 
each side of the river is sprinkled with towns, villages, country- 
seats, and palaces. The river was thronged with vessels of 
every size, and the thousands of sails spread before the wind, 
suggested to my imagination, that the great metropolis pos- 
sessed a magnetic power by which it draws them from every 
ocean and every sea, on the face of the globe, into its harbour. 
And although I had made three previous visits to London, 
yet the scene before me seemed all new. The steamers of 
every grade, and sail vessels of every size and kind, from 
the largest ship to the small pleasure boat, seemed literally 
to cover the water. It was computed, that we passed at least 
three thousand vessels of all descriptions in our ascent to the 
city. It appeared at times impossible for our steamer to 
avoid running into some vessel, or small boats, which were 
continually passing and repassing ; and had it not been for the 
great dexterity of the steersman, and the continually reiterated 
orders of the captain, the danger at times would have been 
exceedingly imminent. 

All the cities which I visited in my travels seemed to sink 
ninto insignificance, compared to London. The city and 
suburbs together, contain a population which is computed at 
about two millions. It is situated on both sides of the river 
Thames, and includes the city proper, in the east, West- 
minster, in the west ; and Southwark, on the south side of 



ST. Paul's cathedral — time in building — cost. 309 

the river. It is about seven miles long, about four wide ; 
and covers an area of about thirty square miles. The streets 
are continually crowded with carriages of all kinds, and foot- 
passengers innumerable. 

So much has been written, and so much is known about 
London from actual observation of numerous travellers, many 
of them my own countrymen, as to render it altogether super- 
fluous to say much, in a work like this, respecting a city so 
generally known. I shall content myself, therefore, with 
merely a hasty glance at some of the most prominent and 
noted objects of interest in and around the city and suburbs, 

St. Paul's Cathedral is a most prominent object in London, 
and one that invariably attracts the attention of strangers. 
It is truly a most magnificent building, and far exceeds all 
the most vivid descriptions which have ever been given by 
the ablest pens. Its foundations were commenced on the 
10th of June, 1675, and in ten years from that time, the 
walls of the choir and side-aisles were finished, together with 
the north and south circular porticos. The piers of the 
dome were also brought to the same height. The highest 
and last stone on the top of the lantern was laid by Christo- 
pher Wren, the son of the architect, in 1710. It is singular, 
that this gigantic edifice should have been completed in the 
short period of thirty-five years, under the superintendence 
of one architect, Sir Christopher Wren, under the direction 
of one principal mason, Mr. Strong, and during the occu- 
pation of the See by one Bishop of London, Dr. Henry 
Compton. 

The whole cost of erecting this building amounted to about 
seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling. The sum 
was raised by a small tax on coal imported into London. 

This cathedral is the most magnificent edifice in the city. 
It is in the form of a Greek cross, with three grand porticos. 
The western portico and principal entrance is formed of 
twelve Corinthian columns, on an elevated marble basement, 
with eight coupled columns above, supporting a pediment, an 
entablature representing St. Paul's conversion in bas-relief, a 
colossal statue of the Saint at the top, and statues of the 
Evangelists on the sides. The dome, resting on the mass of 
the building, is surmounted by a lantern, and adorned with 
Corinthian columns and a balcony; the whole is surmounted 
by a cross. 

The dimensions of the building, are, from east to west 
within the walls, five hundred feet ; from north to south, two 
hundred and twenty-three; the breadth of the west entrance 



310 BELL CLOCK MODEL WHISPERING GALLERY. 

within, is one hundred feet ; the height from the ground to 
the top of the cross is four hundred and four feet ; the cir- 
cumference of the dome, four hundred and twenty ; the height 
of the pillars in front of the portico, is forty feet. The extent 
of the ground on which the huilding stands, is two acres, six- 
teen perches, twenty-three yards, and one foot. 

The interior of the Cathedral does not equal its noble ex- 
terior. It would be little else than an immense vault with 
heavy columns, were it not relieved by monumental statuary. 

In the southwest transept is a noble staircase, by which 
the ascent is made to the top. The number of steps are, 
from the floor to the whispering gallery, two hundred and 
eighty ; including those to the golden gallery, five hundred 
and thirty-eight; and to the ball, the whole number is six 
hundred and sixteen. A communication from this staircase 
leads the visiter, first to the Library, where many most rare 
and valuable works are preserved. The flooring is remark- 
able, being most artfully inlaid, without nail or peg; it con- 
tains two thousand three hundred and seventy-six pieces, like 
the framing of a billiard-table. In this room is a very fine 
painting of Bishop Compton, under whom this Cathedral was 
built. The^next is a very curious geometrical staircase, being 
the best ever made in England ; it has ninety steps, all sup- 
ported by the bottom step. 

The great bell is in a turret above, the weight of which is 
eleven thousand four hundred and seventy-four pounds ; the 
diameter is ten feet, and the thickness is ten inches; the 
clapper weighs one hundred and eighty pounds. The hour 
of the clock is struck upon this bell, and the quarters strike 
on two smaller ones underneath. The circumference of the 
clock's face is fifty-seven feet, and the length of the hour 
figures is two feet and two and a half inches; the length of 
the minute hand is nine feet and eight inches, and its weight 
is seventy-five pounds ; the length of the hour hand is five 
feet and nine inches, and its weight forty-four pounds. 

A very curious model is to be seen in the building, which 
Sir Christopher Wren caused to be made, in order to have 
this cathedral built in every respect like it ; but the commis- 
sioners appointed to superintend the erection of the new 
church disapproving of it, the present plan- was adopted. 

The Whispering Gallery is a curious contrivance, where 
sounds are enlarged to an amazing degree. The shutting of 
the door seems as loud as thunder at a distance ; the least 
whisper is heard around the whole circumference, and a per- 
son speaking against the wall appears to be present to another 



FLOOR — PAINTINGS— WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 3H 

on the other side of the gallery, though the distance between 
them is no less than one hundred and forty feet. From the 
Whispering Gallery the beautiful marble flooring of the church 
may be seen to great advantage, consisting of many thousand 
pieces, laid in checker-work like a chess-board, black and 
white squares alternately, the centre of which represents a 
mariner's compass, the thirty-two cardinal points being laid 
in white and red marble. In the centre is a brass plate, be- 
neath which, in a splendid tomb, repose the remains of Lord 
Nelson. The coffins of Lords Collingwood and Northesk 
lie on each side of him, and Lady Nelson and other members 
of the family are also buried near him. 

The paintings of Sir James Thornhill, in the eight com- 
partments of the dome or cupola, are seen to great advantage 
from this gallery. The subjects are chosen from the most 
remarkable events in the life of St. Paul, namely, his Miracu- 
lous Conversion near Damascus, his Preaching before Sirgius 
Paulus, and Punishment of Elymus the Sorcerer, the Sacri- 
fice at Lyslra, the Conversion of the Gaoler at Philippi, his 
Preaching at Athens, the Burning of the Magic Books at 
Ephesus, his Defence before Agrippa, and bis Shipwreck at 
Melita, or Malta. 

The Stone Lantern, which takes its rise from the top of the 
brick cone, or inner dome, is reputed to be of the enormous 
weight of seven hundred tons. 

St. Paul's Cathedral contains a great multitude of public 
monuments erected to the memories of the illustrious dead. 
To give a full description of these, in minute detail, would fill 
a volume. In a recess under the east window, are the only 
few remains of the old church to be seen that escaped the 
great fire of London, in which the old cathedral was de- 
stroyed. 

The celebrated Westminster Abbey, which is used as a 
noble burial-place, being filled with splendid monuments and 
mementos of the noble dead, is a grand structure of Gothic 
architecture. The south front combines grandeur with grace 
in a remarkable degree. The northern part has a magnifi- 
cent wind'ow of stained glass, and is very imposing. The 
exterior of the building is perhaps somewhat deficient in that 
airiness and beauty which distinguish some of the Gothic 
edifices of the continent, but the interior cannot be too highly 
extolled. It is in the form of a long cross. The roof of the 
nave and cross aisles is sustained by two rows of arches, one 
above the other, the lower tier springing from a series of 
marble pillars, each principal pillar formed by the union of 



312 THE TOWER LOCALITY — ENTRANCE. 

one main with four more slender pillars. It has a vast, lofty 
appearance, which inspires feelings of awe and veneration. 
The chapel of Henry VII., at the east end of the church, is 
unrivalled for gorgeous magnificence. 

The Tower is situated on the east side of the city, about 
eight hundred yards from London Bridge, and near the bank 
of the Thames. A large portion was destroyed by an exten- 
sive fire, which occurred during my tour in Ireland; but, as 
I had seen the whole of this massive structure, and its con- 
tents, previously, I will describe it and its curiosities, as they 
were, when I visited the place on a former occasion. 

It is said to have been commenced in the year 1076, and 
additions were made to it from time to time. It occupies the 
most advantageous situation that could have been chosen for 
a fortress, being near enough to protect the metropolis and 
the seat of commerce from invasion by water. It is to the 
north of the river, from which it is parted by a commodious 
wharf and narrow ditch, filled with water, over which is a 
drawbridge. Upon this wharf is a noble platform, on which 
were formerly placed sixty-one pieces of cannon, nine 
pounders, mounted on handsome iron carriages. 

The principal entrance into the Tower is by four gates to 
the west, one within another, and each large enough to admit 
coaches and heavy carriages. Having passed through the 
third of these, we proceeded over a strong stone bridge, built 
over the ditch, to the fourth, which is the strongest. It has 
a portcullis to let down, on occasion, and it is guarded, not 
only by some soldiers, but by the wardens of the Tower. 

The Tower was a palace during five himdred years, and 
only ceased to be such on ihe accession of Queen Elizabeth. 
The scenes of oppression and misery which its walls have 
witnessed, crowd on the recollection, and awaken feelings of 
melancholy. Flere fell the meek usurper Henry VI., by the 
dagger of the profligate Gloucester. Here, full of horrors, 
died, by the hands of hired ruffians, the unsteady Clarence. 
And here the sweet innocents, Edward VI. and his brother, 
the Duke of York, fell victims to the violent ambition of their 
remorseless uncle. Here, where the identical French axe, 
by which, it is said, that amiable woman, Queen Anne Bo- 
leyn, was beheaded, is exhibited to the gazing spectator, who 
can help calling to recollection the memorable and affecting 
letter which she wrote to Henry VIII., her implacable and 
obdurate husband I 

The principal buildings, previous to the fire, were, the 



THE CHURCH THE WHITE TOWER. 313 

Church, the White Tower, the Governor's House, the Bloody- 
Tower, the Offices of Ordnance, of the Keepers of the Re- 
cords, the Jewel Office, Queen Elizabeth's Armoury, the New 
Horse Armoury, the Grand Store-House, in which was the 
Small Armoury, the Train of Artillery, and the Tent-Room ; 
the New Store- House, wherein were three store-rooms ; hand- 
some houses for the chief and inferior officers, the Mess-House 
for the officers of the garrison, and the Barracks for the sol- 
diers. In addition to these is a street called the Mint, which 
includes nearly one-third part of the Tower. The Tower is 
more of a town than a tower or fortress. 

In the Church have been deposited the remains of many 
noble and some royal personages, executed in the Tower or 
on the Hill, and buried here in obscurity. 

The White Tower was a large, square, irregular, stone 
building, situated almost in the centre, no one side answering 
to another. The apartments were numerous, and before its 
destruction by the late fire, contained a great amount of salt- 
petre, and a multitude of war weapons and instruments of 
death, &c. &c. Some of the rooms contained an immense 
number of the most curious articles, which it is impracticable 
to describe with particular minuteness in this work ; such as 
an ancient iron collar of torture furnished with twenty-four 
spikes, cravats, as they were called ; engines of torture made 
of iron, &c. 

The new Horse Armoury, where, in one spacious room, 
one hundred and forty-nine feet by thirty-three, were ar- 
ranged in regular and chronological order, upwards of twenty 
equestrian figures, comprising many of the most celebrated 
Kings and Queens of England, accompanied by their favourite 
lords of the highest rank, all of them, together with their 
horses, in the armour of the respective periods when they 
flourished, many, indeed, in the identical suits in which they 
appeared when living. The imposing magnificence and deep 
interest which pervaded this enchanting scene, was probably 
unequalled. 

Leaving many other parts of the Tower undescribed, for 
the want of room, I proceed to some description of the crown 
jewel-room, which was happily saved, together with its valu- 
able contents, from the destructive conflagration which de- 
stroyed so many valuable portions of the Tower. Nor have 
I space for even a reference to all the rich objects here pre- 
served. Here is the ancient imperial crown, the golden orb, 
about six inches in diameter, edged with pearls, and girded 
with precious stones, and under its cross a remarkably large 

27 



314 BBITISH MUSEUM. 

amethyst, this orb is placed in the King's left hand at the 
coronation ; the Queen's crown, composed entirely of dia- 
monds of the largest size, its cost is estimated at one hundred 
and eleven thousand pounds ; a number of gold vessels used 
at coronations ; sceptres of gold and most costly jewels ; the 
new imperial crown, a splendid and most costly article ; and 
a number of other things, of the most brilliant and costly 
manufacture, many of them very ancient. 

The foundation of the British Museum originated with the 
will of Sir Hans Sloan, who, during a long period of practice 
as a physician, had accumulated, in addition to a considerable 
library of books and manuscripts, the largest collection of ob- 
jects of natural history and works of art of his time. These 
he directed should be offered after his death, which took place 
in 1753, to Parliament, which offer was accepted. To these 
were added the Harleian Library of MSS. and the Cottonian 
Library. 

The house which contains the Museum, formerly known as 
Montague House, in Great Russell Street, and which has been 
enlarged by various additions from time to time, measures two 
hundred and sixteen feet in length, and fifty-seven in height 
to the top of the cornice. On entering the gate of the Museum 
from Great Russell Street, a quadrangle presents itself, with 
an Ionic Colonnade on the south side, and the main building 
on the north ; the side buildings being allotted for the dwell- 
ings of the officers. 

The ground floor consists of sixteen rooms, at present used 
as store and sorting-rooms. The entrance hall contains se- 
veral statues, such as Shakspeare and other illustrious per- 
sons, with various other articles of interest. 

In the first room of the upper floor are Esquimaux dresses, 
and a large collection of Indian implements and arms, be- 
sides numerous objects from the South Sea Islands, together 
with a multitude of curious articles from all parts of the world. 
In what is called the Mammalia Saloon, is an extensive and 
rare collection, illustrating natural history, and embracing 
quadrupeds of all kinds and descriptions. Other galleries are 
appropriated to the exhibition of specimens of birds of every 
hue and colour, and of all tribes; snakes, lizards, fish, &c. 
The collection in natural history is most extensive, and is, of 
itself, a vast museum of nature. 

The Gallery of Portraits is a most splendid collection of 
the best masters, and contains portraits of the most eminent 
individuals. The gallery appropriated to minerals contains 
specimens of native iron, silver, gold, arsenic, sulphur, sul- 



BRITISH MUSEUM. 315 

phurets of iron, copper, &c., amethyst quartz, rock crystal, 
common quartz, jasper, &c., carbonate of lime, of zinc, and 
indeed specimens of every mineral substance from all parts 
of the earth. 

The Gallery of Antiquities, contained in a number of rooms, 
embraces a most extensive collection of statues, busts, heads, 
vases, fountains, columns, bas-reliefs, altars, fragments, monu- 
ments, sarcoj)hagi, idols, lamps, locks; in a vi^ord, an infinite 
variety of objects of every kind and class that the mind can 
possibly conceive. 

The Egyptian Saloon contains, besides a multitude of ar- 
ticles of every description, many coffins, mummies in coffins 
and bandages, and sarcophagi, some of the last being massive 
and splendid beyond all conception, brought together from va- 
rious parts of Egypt, the catacombs, cemeteries, pyramids, and 
the ruins of ancient Memphis, Thebes and other celebrated lo- 
calities. Here is a coffin in the shape of a mummy, of Pen- 
amoun, Theban prophet, priest of Amoun. Around the neck 
is a rich oskh. Netpe, winged, kneels on the chest. The 
rest of the body is divided into compartments by hierogly- 
phics, consisting of sepulchral dedications to the celestial 
Osiris, Seb, and Annubis, with two prayers, one to Osiris by 
Penamoun. The compartments contain the four genii of the 
Amenti, Osiris placed between two symbolic eyes, and two 
female disked winged deities. The back of the coffin has the 
emblem of stability, surmounted by two arms holding a disk, 
entitled " the eye (of Horus) the lord of truth." Other mum- 
mies are to be seen here of similar description. Some of the 
sarcophagi are of the finest and most highly polished marble, 
and are massive hollow blocks, with lids of the same material 
so neatly fitted, that the joints are scarcely perceptible. These 
sarcophagi are splendid, and indeed magnificent beyond all 
description. But it is impossible to give any thing like a 
minute description of the numberless objects here to be seen ; 
a full description would, of itself, occupy a very large volume. 

The British Museum may be represented, in a few words, 
as a vast collection of all that is rare, curious, ingenious, and 
valuable, brought together from all quarters of the globe, ex- 
hibiting the productions of the most distant climes, the labour 
and art of the most remote ages, embracing the arts, science, 
taste, genius, and literature of every nation and language 
under heaven. The specimens include some millions of arti- 
cles, many of them of the most costly, splendid, and magni- 
ficent description. The variety is so great and comprehen- 
sive, that the mind is unable, at first view, to grasp even a 



316 BANK OP ENGLAND BRIDGES TUNNEL. 

moiety of what is here presented in these alnfiost unbounded 
stores of nature and of art, and of curious research. The 
whole field cannot be contennplated without repeated visits, 
and the nnost attentive and minute examination. 

The Monument, at the foot of London Bridge, is a fluted 
Doric column, in a bad situation ; it is two hundred and two 
feet high, and commemorates the great fire in London. The 
Bank of England, in the heart of the city, is a vast and 
splendid pile, covering eight acres. 

The bridges over the Thames are six ; of these, Waterloo 
Bridge is of granite, and Southwark and Vauxhall Bridges, of 
iron. A more remarkable object is the Tunnel, a passage 
under the river at a point where a bridge would be too detri- 
mental to the navigation. This work was accomplished by 
sinking a perpendicular shaft near the river, and working ho- 
rizontally under the stream. The labourers in this work were 
aided by a frame-work, called a " Shield," which prevented 
the earth from caving in around them, and was pushed for- 
ward as the work proceeded. As fast as the excavation was 
made, the tunnel was formed by mason-work into two arches; 
and in this manner the work was carried forward to its com- 
pletion. The expense attending the work was enormous. 
The very day after 1 left London, the Tunnel was opened 
for passage from shore to shore. A few days previous I 
penetrated as far as the obstructions, not then removed, per- 
mitted. It is really a stupendous work, and worthy of the 
enterprising government which has so completely and suc- 
cessfully achieved such a gigantic monument of genius, art, 
and perseverance. 

London contains a great number of squares ; the hand- 
somest is Grosvenor Square, an area of six acres, and con- 
taining an equestrian statue of George K. The buildings 
around it are the most superb in London. The largest square 
is that called Lincoln's Inn Fields, which occupies a space 
just equal to that covered by the great pyramid of Egypt. 

The finest public walks are at the west end ; Green Park, 
Hyde Park, St. James' Park, and Regent's Park, are beauti- 
ful fields or gardens, ornamented with trees; these are the 
resort of thousands who walk for exercise or pleasure. These 
parks are very extensive; Hyde Park contains three hundred 
and ninety-four acres, and in the afternoon of the Sabbath, 
is thronged by crowds of fashionable people who pour along 
the promenades, like the ebbing and flowing tide. In Regent's 
Park is an immense edifice, called the Coliseum, in which 
may be seen a panorama of London as viewed from the dome 



PARLIAMENT WINDSOR CASTLE. 317 

of St. Paul's. The gardens of the Zoological Society are 
also in this park. They are elegantly laid out, and contain 
an interesting collection of rare animals from all parts of the 
world. 

The buildings of London are generally of brick. The 
streets in some parts are wide, and few are so narrow as not 
to admit two carriages abreast. At the west end, they are 
mostly straight, and sufficiently broad for five or six car- 
riages. Here are the residences of the nobility and the rich. 
Regent street in this quarter is probably the most splendid 
street in the world. In the city, or the central and oldest 
part, the streets are narrow and crooked ; but here the great 
business of London is transacted. The shops are most splen- 
didly fitted up, and contain the greatest variety of every sort 
of manufacture, making a most magnificent display of the 
richest jewelry, plate, &c. &c. 

I visited the Parliament, and listened to the debates in the 
House of Commons ; and cannot say, that 1 heard any thing 
very eloquent, or perceived any remarkable displays of talent 
and genius. Through the politeness of the American minister, 
I obtained a ticket for admission to the House of Lords. Here 
1 also felt disappointed ; for I heard nothing which was cal- 
culated to impress the mind favourably as it regards great 
strength of intellect. I noticed some prominent characters, 
among whom was the Duke of Wellington ; he is about ordi- 
nary size, spare or light made, rather frail in body, has a 
very long, lean face, but a keen, sharp eye. 

I went out to Windsor Castle by the Great Western rail- 
road, travelling at the rate of about forty miles an hour. 
The Palace (or Castle,) is built on a hill, surrounded by a 
strong wall, covering several acres of ground, with a large 
open court in the centre. I visited the State-Rooms, and 
saw portraits of all the kings and queens of England, from 
the earliest period down to the present time. From the top 
of the tower 1 had a fine view of the country around, as far 
as the eye could reach ; the prospect was indeed grand and 
enchanting. 

At about 5 p. M. I had an opportunity of seeing Prince 
Albert and Queen Victoria, as they rode out for their evening 
excursion. I obtained a position favourable to a good and 
uninterrupted view of the whole train. The royal party 
were on horseback, their dresses plain, but their horses were 
noble animals, and were highly and richly caparisoned. The 
Queen rode a beautiful white horse; she was dressed in a 
long riding-dress, and wore a rich cap with tassels. Her 



318 PRINCE ALBERT AND QUEEN VICTORIA. 

countenance was pleasant, exhibiting an agreeable smile. 
Prince Albert rode by her left side ; and the Prince Coburgh 
on her right. The remainder of the party, about twenty in 
number, followed, riding two and two. The first carriage 
which followed contained the young Princess, the oldest child; 
and the second, the young Prince of Wales, a fine round- 
faced, chubby little boy. 

After returning to London, I spent several days visiting 
and examining more minutely many objects of interest, and 
especially various public places in and around the city. It 
is impossible by any written description to convey adequate 
ideas of the real magnitude of London. It is not until after 
a person has been in the city for some months, that he begins 
to comprehend its vast extent. Every new walk opens to 
him streets, squares, and divisions which he has not seen 
before. And even in those places where he is most familiar, 
are discovered, day by day, archways, avenues, and tho- 
roughfares, within and around them, which before had been 
unnoticed. Even people who have spent their whole lives in 
the city, often find streets and buildings, of which they had 
never before heard, and which they had never before seen. 
If one ascend to the top of St. Paul's church, and look down 
through the openings in the vast cloud which envelopes the 
city, he notices a sea of edifices, stretching beyond the limited 
view that is presented by the impending vapours. It is not 
until many impressions are added together, that this great 
metropolis is understood, even by one who visits and studies 
it. It is not until the observer has seen the palace of the 
king and the hovel of the beggar ; the broad and airy streets 
inhabited by the rich, and the dark and dismal abodes of the 
poor; the countless multitudes that ebb and flow like the tide, 
through the principal streets; the thousands that frequent 
the parks and promenades during the day, and other thou- 
sands that shun the light, and only steal forth in the hours of 
darkness ; it is not until all these, and many other spectacles 
have been witnessed, that he can understand the magnificence 
and meanness, the wealth and poverty, the virtue and the 
vice, the luxury and the want, the happiness and the misery, 
which are signified by that brief word, London. 

I engaged my passage for New York on board the packet- 
ship Wellington, remained in London two days after her de- 
parture from the dock, and then went by railroad to Ports- 
mouth, where the passengers were to embark. Portsmouth 
is the most important naval station in the kingdom. Its 
magazines and docks are the most complete in the world. 



ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK. 319 

The spacious road of Spithead, at this place, is capable of 
sheltering one thousand ships of the line. 

After a long and tedious passage of thirty-five days, I 
arrived safely in New York, on the 4lh day of Septennber, 
1842. Here I respectfully take leave of the patient reader; 
and if he is as well pleased to find himself at the end of my 
book, that is, on the supposition that he has not fallen off by 
the way, as I was to reach my native land, and my home and 
fireside, we are mutually gratified. 



THE END. 



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